Black Band (landsknechts)
The Black Guard or Great Guard was one since about 1488 existing Landsknecht regiment, came from the Netherlands, the Frisian and Groningen countryside and about 4,000 men included. It served under various masters and specialized in the brutal subjugation of free farming communities on the North Sea coast.
From about 1495 Thomas Slentz was their leader.
Beginning of 1500 joined the Black Guard in the service of the Danish King John I and fought for in the Battle of Hemmingstedt unsuccessful, and with the loss of 800 men against the peasant republic Dithmar. In these battles, Thomas Slentz fell.
As a result, has not been established whether the Black Guard disintegrated and was later re-formed, or whether the unit continues to exist continuously.
In preparation for a campaign as part of the Saxon feud with Edzard I. by George of Saxony, the Black Guard is mentioned again in 1514. Under the leadership of Hugo Leisenich of the Black Guard takes a strength of 4,000 men in a military campaign in East Friesland and in part destroyed there in April and June, many places, including Norden.
With the end of the Saxon feud the Black Guard, now 5,000 strong man was disbursed. While some were in the service of Charles and others returned home, the majority as a federation of Charles of Egmond, Duke of Gelre was taken in wage and attended Charles expedition to Italy, where they entered French service. As a "black gang" they took part in the Battle of Marignano in a decisive role. In the Battle of Pavia in 1525, the black band was destroyed by the imperial mercenaries under Frundsbergstrasse and Ems.
More "black " pile
The " Black Army " of Matthias Corvinus, king of Hungary, fell apart around the same time with the emergence of the Black Guard.
The Arumer Zwarte Hoop ( Black pile ) was born 1514/15 about the same time in Friesland - near the region in which the Black Guard was briefly without pay and later entered the service of the Duke of funds. The existing primarily from farmers association was reamed to 1523 in Geldern.
The black pile of Florian Geyer was born in 1525 shortly after the destruction of the black band at Pavia. He was smashed during the peasant wars or 1525.
The black band in the service of France was founded in 1526 out of 4,000 mercenaries new. They arose in 1528 after the unsuccessful siege of Naples, the Imperial, which occurred 2,000 survivors in imperial service.