particular parallels can be seen in the middle ages and renaissance city-states of the low countries (modern netherlands, belgium and luxembourg), the cantons of switzerland and the city-states of northern italy. armies of the low countries were first armed with spears, then pikes, and were defeating french and burgundian forces by the 14th century. the swiss first used the halberd in the 14th century but—outreached by austrian cavalry armed with lances—the swiss gradually adopted pikes in the later 15th century. swiss pike phalanxes of the burgundian wars were dynamic and aggressive resulting in the destruction of the 'modern' burgundian army and the death of charles the bold. some italian states raised their own pike units as well as employing swiss mercenary pikemen in the 15th and 16th century. the swiss were also copied by german landsknechts leading to bitterness and rivalry between competing mercenary units.