In the West we have "agreed" that child soldiers are

they were mostly in their 30's. child soldiers are simply useless cannonfodder no matter are they seen as immoral or not.

>>2214023
When did the idea/concept of child soldiers really come up then, or has it always been a "minority" thing.

>>2214023
>they were mostly in their 30's

I don't think that's correct...

>>2214045
It came when there were not enough adult men, so the army started recruiting boys.

>>2214045
you mean children being soldiers or child soldiers as something distinct? there has always been some young boys in warbands and armies doing things they could do but childhood itself is fairly modern thing. you were a man if you were up to man's tasks, no matter were you 11 or 20. in renaissance-early modern sweden you were ready to be drafted when you could draw a bow, i guess other countries had some similar systems.

>>2213992
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mom%C4%8Dilo_Gavri%C4%87

This dude

>>2213992

It varied by period of course, most would have been young men between ~18 and 30. Younger soldiers weren't uncommon, but usually a boy soldier in premodern times would have been put to work away from the front lines, defending the baggage, perhaps.