Reasons for joining

[Furious Mental]

In the 14th century most of the "English" soldiers were actually French, in particular Gascon. Only major expeditionary armies raised in England actually consisted chiefly of English soldiers raised by contracts of indenture. Most of the fighting was done by companies and retinues hired (if they were hired at all) on an extremely ad hoc basis.

[Boyar Son]

Really? so now europe just hired foreign troops to do their bidding? sheesh some training for ur own guys would be cheaper methinks.

[Didz]

Really? so now europe just hired foreign troops to do their bidding? sheesh some training for ur own guys would be cheaper methinks.

Not much different to the Federal Army using european immigrants to bulk up its forces during the American Civil War, in return for offers of citisenship. Whole regiments and brigades of Germans, Irish and Frenchmen fighting for a country they hardly knew.

Its pretty common practice throughout history.

[Watchman]

Uhh... the English crown was mainly hiring its own knights and freeholder peasants for its expeditionary armies for example. And I figure the territorial defense of its continental territories was handled mainly by local feudal troops (European feudalism developed specifically for territorial defense after all) reinforced by mercenaries and/or paid "native" troops.

I don't think all-mercenary armies were very common outside Italy of the condottieri period, although some Great Company type formations did hire out further afield (eg. the almughavars in Byzantine employ - but then again, Moorish rulers sometimes hired Turkish mercs...). The lock-stock-and-barrel Landsknecht armies of the Renaissance are a bit different story, but even they usually had for example cavalry support mainly provided by their paymaster (ie. his own knights etc.).

And, yes, the whole affair is a pretty complicated topic with crazy degree of variation by time and place and the colour of underwear.

[Furious Mental]

Yes in the 14th century the English crown mostly hired soldiers from within its own territory but not from England, from Gascony. English feudal troops had pretty much no role after the Hundred Years' War began. There was a hiatus of several decades in which no feudal host was raised, then in 1385 Richard III raised one and achieved nothing with it, and that was the last occasion. Attempts by Henry V and Henry VI to raised feudal armies in conquered France also proved essentially futile. Contracts of indenture were clearly the most effective means of recruitment. If lots of local soldiers were needed they were simply conscripted by Commissioners of Array.