Swiss Mercenaries

Mercenaries were widely used in Italy, where they signed contracts (condotte) with different cities. The condottiere played important political roles, some of them becoming rulers of states - such as Francesco Sforza in Milan (1450).

There were advantages and disadvantages to using mercenaries. The upside was that they were usually well trained, and particularly effective when the job required a specific expertise (such as the operation of an arquebus). 

Yet there were also disadvantages. Loyalty was the most frequently questioned matter, and there were cases where mercenary commanders switched sides or abandoned their employer in the midst of battle. Problems could also arise when mercenaries were contracted by both sides, as it happened in 1499-1500 when Swiss units served in the rival armies of Milan and France. The Swiss Confederation intervened, with the result that the mercenaries left both armies and went home.