Landsknecht , a German mercenary foot soldier of the Renaissance. The landsknechts were employed mainly from the lower class (the poor) in contrast to the knights—nobles, although the latter often held positions of senior officers in the units of the landsknechts. In addition, the landsknechts were a kind of "German response" to the Swiss infantry. Like all mercenaries, in war mercenaries did not shy away from looting and robbery. It was believed that the Landsknecht earned more in a month than a farmer in a year.