Bujdosné Pap Györgyi et al.: Mozgó frontvonalak. Háború és diplomácia a várháborúk időszakában 1552-1568 - Studia Agriensia 35. (Eger, 2017)
Florin-Nicolae Ardelean: On the Foreign Mercenaries and Early Modern Military Innovations in East Central Europe. Castaldo's Army in Transsylvania and the Banat
and their troops were stationed in Karánsebes and Lugos.15 Crepovic stayed loyal to Emperor Ferdinand and in 1553 he and 50 hussars are mentioned as receiving wages in the service of the Habsburgs.16 Bishop Martinuzzi frequently argued in favour of recruiting local troops. He asked for money to hire 800 cavalry, with wages of only 2 florins per month, but was refused by Castaldo who was expecting new troops from Upper Hungary.17 In fact György Fráter had a rather large military retinue, consisting of 1000 horsemen and a few artillery pieces, paid by the Habsburgs as part of their agreement over Transylvania.18 In December 1551 the personal guard of Martinuzzi was increased to 1000 cavalry and 500 infantry.19 Next year their number was diminished to 500 cavalry and 300 infantry.20 It is not very certain who these soldiers were, they were probably recruited from the domains of the bishop, at least partially from Transylvania. On 15th of January, 1552 with the recommendation of Castaldo and Tamás Varkocs, the captain of Nagyvárad fortress, Báthory András de Somlyó with 100 horsemen was taken into service by the Habsburgs.21 A few weeks later this Transylvanian nobleman was sent to Wallachia where he was gathering information about the Turks, under the pretext of horse trading.22 In March 1552 he and his 100 cavalry were sent to the siege of Szeged.23 The example of András Báthory de Somlyó is far from being unique. There are situations when Transylvanian nobles were put in charge of detachments from Upper Hungary like János Kendeffy24 who received the command of a cavalry company after the siege of Szeged.25 All these examples of Transylvanians fighting in the service of the Habsburgs are relevant because they show that there was a common war experience, shared by local and foreign mercenaries, who collaborated and eventually learned from each other. In the Early Modern period military professionalism was obtained through 15 Feneçan - Feneçan 2013. Doc. 29,157-158. 16 Veress £71-73. 17 ÖStA HHStA Hungarica AA Fas. 60, Konv. A, £ 12-15. 18 Centorio 1566.58. 19 ÖStA HHStA Hungarica AA Fas. 61, Konv. A, £ S; Hurmuzaki 1894. doc. CCCCXVIII, 653. These numbers are also confirmed by Centorio who mentions 800 cavalry and 500 infantry as personal guard of the bishop and 200 cavalry in the fortresses of Deva and Gurghiu. Centorio 1566.101. 20 ÖStA HHStA Hungarica AA Fas. 61, Konv. A, £ 75. 21 ibid. Fas. 62, Konv. A, £85,88-89. 22 ibid. Konv. B, £ 20. 23 ibid. Fas. 63, Konv. A, £ 3-5.; Reizner 1900. doc. LXXXY 152-153. 24 János Kendeffy was an important supporter of the Habsburg rule in Transylvania. In 1550 he lead a military force which defended the southern frontier of Transylvania against the Ottomans and Wallachians who were trying to help Queen Isabella in her conflict with Martinuzzi. Feneçan 2016.310-311. 25 ÖStA HHStA Hungarica AA Fas. 62, Konv. A, £ 76. 120
