Halberd
A pole weapon combining an axe blade, a spear point, and a hook. European armies used it from the late Middle Ages onward.
Pole weapon: A weapon mounted on a long shaft for striking, thrusting, or hooking at reach. The halberd belongs to this broad family of long-shafted weapons.
Medieval warfare: The military practices and conflicts of Europe and neighboring regions during the Middle Ages. The halberd developed within the changing armies and tactics of medieval Europe.
Infantry: Foot soldiers organized to fight on land, either dismounted or without mounted combat as their primary role. Halberds were carried by infantry, especially in close combat and formation fighting.
Lucerne hammer: A Swiss pole weapon with a hammer head, top spike, and rear beak, used against armored opponents. Its hammer-faced head emphasizes armor penetration rather than the halberd's axe blade.
Axe: A bladed tool or weapon with an edge mounted across a handle or haft. The halberd's broad blade delivers chopping blows like an axe.
Swiss mercenaries: Soldiers from the Swiss Confederacy who served as highly valued infantry across Europe. Swiss infantry made prominent use of halberds alongside pikes.
Swiss pike square: A dense Swiss infantry formation combining long pikes with shorter weapons and close-order tactics. Halberdiers could fight within or around the pike formation when ranks closed.
Glaive: A pole weapon with a single-edged blade mounted at the end of a long shaft. Unlike the halberd, the glaive generally lacks a combined axe, point, and hook head.
Spear: A thrusting weapon with a pointed head mounted on a shaft. The halberd's projecting point supports thrusts much like a spear.
Battle of Sempach: A 1386 battle in which Swiss forces defeated an army of the Habsburg duke of Austria. The battle is associated with the halberd in accounts of early Swiss infantry warfare.