EPISODE · Jul 8, 2026 · 6 MIN
The Halberdier Revolt: When Swiss Mercenaries Shook Milan
from The Story of Italy: Rome, Renaissance, and the Birth of Modern Europe — Fexingo History · host Fexingo
In 1525, Milan was a battlefield of the Italian Wars, caught between French and Imperial armies. But the city's real drama unfolded not in the piazza but in the Castello Sforzesco, when Swiss halberdiers, unpaid and starving, turned their pikes against their own commanders. This episode unpacks the forgotten 1525 Swiss mutiny in Milan: the desperate negotiations, the execution of ringleaders, and the brutal lesson in mercenary loyalty that echoed through Swiss military reputation for decades. We explore the economics of Renaissance mercenary contracts, the fractured loyalties of the Swiss cantons, and how a single revolt exposed the fragility of Renaissance power. #SwissMercenaries #HalberdierRevolt #Milan1525 #ItalianWars #RenaissanceWarfare #CastelloSforzesco #SwissReisläufer #MercenaryLoyalty #Lansquenets #BattleOfPavia #FrancoisI #CharlesV #Sforza #MilitaryHistory #RenaissanceItaly #SwissPikes #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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The Halberdier Revolt: When Swiss Mercenaries Shook Milan
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