Circle troops[1][2][3] (German: Kreistruppen) were the contingents of soldiers that the Imperial Circles (Reichskreise) actually placed at the disposal of the Army of the Holy Roman Empire or Reichsarmee.
The Imperial Circles only emerged at the beginning of the 16th century.
They were only identified by numbers and consisted of imperial estates of all groups with the exception of the electors.
The "most recent register of all time", drawn up at the Diet of Worms,[4] contained the basic imperial direction, the Simplum.
The appointment and payment of the remaining officers was sometimes carried out by the Circles and sometimes by the Imperial Estates providing the contingents of troops.