Наемничеството в средновековна България
Mercenary in medieval Bulgaria

Summary/Abstract: The history of Medieval warfare is closely related to the evolution of military contractors in Europe and beyond. Thus far mercenaries in Western Europe and Byzantium have received substantial attention from military historians. There are, however, many other parts of Europe, in which contractors played an essential role for the development of war and politics. The following article is the first study of the mercenary ethos of Medieval Bulgaria and its impact on local politics, strategy, and the conduct of war. With regard to the time period, the text covers the time of the First and Second Bulgarian empires (680–1396), focusing on the hiring and using mercenary forces as means of strengthening Bulgaria’s royal armies but also for boosting its diplomatic ties with tribes and states in the region. Based on a number of primary sources and secondary literature, the article explores the diplomacy, logistics and costs of hiring mercenary companies. The study tries to examine the size of hired contingents, measuring their impact on the overall manpower and performance of the Bulgarian field armies.

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