Chapter 47: The Army and the Crows
Due to the current backwards modes of labor, most armies today still rely on a mercenary recruitment system. When war breaks out, farmers are hired to join the army. After the war, they were paid in grain or money and sent home. Sometimes, soldiers even have to prepare their own dry food and weapons during the march. Consequently, it’s not uncommon to see scenes on the battlefield where spears and rakes are flying, and wooden clubs and dung forks are clashing. This form of military composition cannot guarantee a fixed training period for the army, let alone stable combat effectiveness.
Coexisting with the recruitment system is a conscription system that trains professional soldiers. Able-bodied adult males are selected to reside in military camps year-round to receive military training. The army would provide them with a regular salary, food and other basic necessities. Everyone understands the benefits of a conscription system: it can train highly combat-effective soldiers, stabilize military strength, foster strong morale and cohesion….
However, alongside these benefits is a significant drawback: the high cost.
The cost of supporting a group of adult men who basically do nothing all day cannot be underestimated. Money is spent like water, and there is no guarantee of return. An army of a thousand people requires an annual expenditure of about 100,000 gold florins. Such expenditure would bankrupt a small country with insufficient strength. Most royal families could only afford to maintain a regular army of few hundred men to safeguard the royal family and the capital, relying on mercenaries for the rest of the troops.
In contrast, powerful nations like Rome, Calais, and Assyria all had their own standing armies, which was why they were able to hold an important position in the world for a long time.
Rafael was determined not to entrust his life and the safety of Florence to mercenaries of unknown integrity. Throughout history, there have been countless mercenaries who took money from their employers before stabbing them in the back. The mercenaries of the Black Sea region were notorious for this, and many of their former employers’ heads are buried beneath their mountains of gold. As a result, no organization is willing to accept those from the Black Sea region, and many employers would run away at the mere mention of the Black Sea. This has forced honest Black Sea mercenaries to fabricate themselves a more ‘respectable’ background.
No matter the place or era, a loyal and combat-effective army directly under one’s command is an invaluable treasure. Even if feeding them requires cutting out one’s flesh and blood, Rafael was determined to grit his teeth and carry on. Moreover, he had already secured sufficient funds—the wool coming from those sheep, although the lords who died in the public square would not be pleased to hear such a statement.
Rafael assigned several black monks recommended by Ferrante to Leshert to handle the inventory and distribution of all property seized during the army’s conquest of territories. Leshert acquiesced to this arrangement, and Rafael was relieved.
Throughout history, burning, killing and pillaging after capturing a castle was one of the most common things for soldiers to do. Through this means, they would obtain vast wealth unimaginable during their lifetime. However, for an army to have long-term vitality and stability, plundering and pillaging wasn’t sustainable. The Ancient Assyrian cavalry that once dominated the world also fell victim to this trap. Their commanders allowed soldiers to plunder and wreak havoc in captured cities without restraint. Their lack of discipline and excessive greed made them resistant to tactics other than direct assault, which eventually resulted in them being worn down and defeated by the Knights Templar during a long battle of attrition.