The Bad War — The Bloody Rivalry Between the Swiss And German Mercenaries

During the 16th century, the Swiss mercenaries and German Landsknechts slaughtered each other on every occasion. Soon, their encounters became known as the “Bad War.”

Landsknecht (left) and Swiss mercenary (right) (Image:weaponsandwarfare.com)

For two centuries Swiss mercenaries were the most sought-after soldiers of fortune in the European war theaters. They were called the Reisläufer (in old German the runners of war).

But everything changed by the late 15th century when Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I created his own version of Swiss mercenaries — the Landsknechts.

Soon, the Swiss mercenaries and German Landsknecht became fierce enemies. The hatred was fueled by centuries-old disputes and competition for mercenary contracts.

The rival mercenaries’ hatred for each other showed on battlefields across Europe, but especially in the Italian Wars.

The Italians who witnessed the carnage between Landsknechts and the Swiss dubbed their fights the “Bad War.”

The Landsknechts and the Swiss were business rivals