The soldier in German history from the monographs on German cultural history from 1899. Soldiers in the true sense only reappeared in Europe after the Roman Empire with the establishment of standing armies. Earlier armies were either temporarily recruited through feudal structures or by other rulers for specific military campaigns. With the rise of a monetary economy, military personnel were recruited by mercenary entrepreneurs (according to Elwert), similar to condottieri and Landsknecht. Initially, soldiers felt bound only to their commander, who often named the unit after himself. It was only with the transition from the absolutist to the national state idea that the image of the soldier changed, as he became committed to his nation. Illustrated with 184 black-and-white images and supplements based on originals from the 15th to 18th centuries. Reprint.