 On land, these wars were primarily fought by armies of mercenaries known as "condottieri", bands of soldiers drawn from around Europe, but especially Germany and Switzerland, led largely by Italian captains.The mercenaries were not willing to risk their lives unduly, and war became one largely of sieges and maneuvering, occasioning few pitched battles.It was also in the interest of mercenaries on both sides to prolong any conflict, to continue their employment.