Fähnlein

The Fähnlein (in

By the Middle Ages, the Fähnlein was already the administrative unit with military forces, especially in the infantry. It initially had 400 to 600 men, sometimes up to 1,000. In France it usually consisted of 300 men. Georg von Frundsberg had 380 Landsknechte. However, these numbers were target strengths, which were almost never attained. Thus, the actual strength of the French Fähnlein for a long time was no more than 100 to 200 men.

The regiments of different armies had very different numbers of Fähnlein:

• 18 Fähnlein at Frundsberg
• 12 Fähnlein in a French Legion
• 10 Fähnlein in the Imperial Troops during the Schmalkaldic War

The Fähnlein consisted of a mix of

In the 17th century, some Fähnleins or fänikor would have a strength of only 100 to 200 men, and it was at this time that the designation "

Germany

In Germany, a Fähnlein was the subordinate formation within a Landsknecht regiment. Each Fähnlein consisted of several Rotten (singular: Rotte). As a formed unit, a Fähnlein consisted of around 400 Landsknechte, commanded by a captain (Feldhauptmann, Hauptmann or Kapitän).

A Rotte consisted of eight to twelve Landsknechte or six

. At the beginning of the 17th century, i.e. before the Thirty Years' War a Fähnlein in Germany was supposed to have the following strength:

• 100
  pikemen
• 160 musketeers
• 20 halberdiers
• 20 swordsmen (Rundtartschiere)

Under

Charles V

the staff of a German Fähnlein was as follows:

• 1
  captain (Hauptmann
  )
• 1 lieutenant (Leutnant, Lieutenant, Locotenens or Leutinger)
• 1 ensign (Fähnrich)
• 1 sergeant (Feldwebel)
• 1 chaplain (Kaplan)
• 1 quartermaster sergeant (Fourier)
• 1 guide (Führer)
• 2 Gemeinwebel
• 1 or 2 drummers (Trommler) or fifers (Pfeifer)
• 2 so-called trabants to guard the captain
• 1
  translator
  (Dolmetscher)
• 2 runners (Jungen) for the captain and the ensign
• 1 cook (Koch)
• 1 mounted rider (Knecht) for the captain

This structure was also called the prima plana (Latin for "first sheet") because these appointments were on the first page of the muster lists.

Sweden

Roughly the same organization was used in

Captain. The corresponding cavalry unit was called ryttarfana

(rider banner).

Ensigns

The military rank of Fähnrich (Germany) or Fänrik (Sweden) was held by the ensigns or low ranking officer who carried the banner (German Fahne, Swedish Fana) of the Fähnlein or fänika. The Spanish army has a similar formation called a Bandera (flag, banner).

References

This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Fähnlein" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

See also

• Heerhaufen