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John Hawkwood

Type Figure Region England Time c. 1320–1394 Also known as John Hawkwood、Giovanni Acuto、乔瓦尼·阿库托、Sir John Hawkwood

John Hawkwood was a famous 14th-century English-born mercenary leader (condottiero), born in Essex around the 1320s.…

Timeline

  1. c. 1320–1356Essex · EssexHawkwood was born around the 1320s into a lower-class family in Essex, England, and served in the Hundred Years' War from the 1340s, possibly taking part in major battles such as Crécy in 1346 and Poitiers in 1356, accumulating military experience and reputation.
  2. 1341–1350Northern France · NormandyIn the 1340s Hawkwood continued serving on the French battlefield, taking part in Edward III's military ventures in France, a period that laid the tactical and organizational foundation for his later organization of mercenary companies in Italy.
  3. 1360–1394Florence · FlorenceFrom the 1360s Hawkwood commanded mercenary companies such as the White Company in Italy, successively fighting for employers including Milan, the Papal States, and Florence, renowned for mobile tactics and contract negotiation. In 1390 he was hired on a long-term basis by the Republic of Florence, and he died in Florence on 17 March 1394, being buried in the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

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