Mercenaries in 14th-century Europe: Crack troops or 'useless and dangerous'?

During the Middle Ages, political units adopted two approaches to the use of mercenaries. Political authorities in Italian cities commonly contracted entire military campaigns to mercenary companies. In contrast, European monarchies like France recruited mercenaries to serve in their national armed forces, led by national commanders. This chapter explores the military effectiveness of these structures and the consequences associated with using each of these two formats. By doing so, the chapter seeks to add historical depth to current discussions of private force, providing a more nuanced understanding of Machiavelli's oft-cited dismissal of mercenaries as 'useless and dangerous'.