Ordinance company

Ordonnanzkompanien were by the ordinance of Orleans on November 2, 1439 by King Charles VII. And the French Estates General created companies mentioned, which were significant as the start of a first standing army in Europe.

An annual tax totaling 1.2 million livres , which was collected from royal officials, was used for maintenance . The force consisted of 15 orderly companies. Each of these companies consisted of 100  hommes d'armes or lances, each lance of the knight , his squire (coutilier), servant (valet) and three sticks (archers), i.e. six horses.

In 1445 the organization of this troop was completed and the king had won an army of 9,000 men. This enabled him to break the power of the feudal nobility. The great vassals lost their martial law because no one was allowed to keep mercenaries in royal territory . The orderly companies increased rapidly and were soon supplemented by the Francs-archers and the Bandes françaises .

literature

• Joachim Ehlers : History of France in the Middle Ages . Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, Darmstadt 2009, ISBN 978-3-89678-668-5 , pp. 340f .; 343f.