Mercenary
A mercenary issoldier who fightsmoney, regardlessideological, national or political considerations. When addressed toprofessional soldier inregular national army,termnormally used as an insult or epithet.
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2 MercenariesAfrica 3 Mercenary Operations 4 Mercenaries andLawsWar 5 MercenariesPopular Culture |
MercenariesEuropean History
Mercenaries inClassic era
Carthage contracted Balearic Islands shepherds as slingshooters duringPunic wars against Rome.Inlate Roman Empire, Roman citizens weren't readymilitary service andempire often contracted whole bandsbarbarians either withinlegions or as autonomous foederati. The barbarians were Romanizedsurviving veterans were establishedareas requiring population.
See also Anabasis
Mercenaries Medieval warfare
Byzantine Emperors followedRoman practisecontracted foreigners especiallytheir personal corps guard. They were chosen among war-prone peoples. Sincedidn't have links toGreeks,were expectedbe readysuffocate rebellions. VarangiansAnglo-Saxons were electedthis service.In Italy,condottiero wasmilitary chief offering his troops,condottieri,city-states.
Duringages ofTaifa kingdoms ofIberian peninsula, Christian knights like the Cid coud fightsome Muslim ruler against his Christian or Muslim enemies.
The Almogavares foughtAragon buttheir expeditionOrient,followed Roger de Flor inservice ofByzantine Empire.
See also: Bertrand Duguesclin, White Company, Scottish clan.
Mercenaries inModern Age
Swiss mercenaries were sought after duringlatter half of15th century as being an effective fighting force, until their somewhat rigid battle formations became vulnerablearquebusesesartillery being developed at about that period.It was then thatEuropean landsknechts, colorful mercenaries withredoubtable reputation, took overSwiss forces' legacybecamemost formidable force oflate 15ththroughout16th century, being hired by allpowersEuropeoften fighting at opposite sides.
St Thomas Morehis Utopia advocatedusemercenariespreferencecitizens.
MercenariesAfrica
In20th century, mercenaries have been mostly involvedconflicts oncontinentAfrica. There have beennumberunsavory incidents inbrushfire warsAfrica, some involving recruitmentnaive EuropeanAmerican men "lookingadventure"thrusting them into combat situations wherewould not surviveget paid.
Many ofadventurersAfrica who have been described as mercenaries werefact ideologically motivatedsupport particular governments,would not fight "forhighest bidder."
One particularly notorious mercenary was Mike Hoare.
Mercenary Operations
The French Foreign Legionnotmercenary outfit as itdeployedfights inFrench national interest, but many ofpersons who choosejoincould be described as mercenaries.
Itknown that mercenaries have been hiredfight inconflictsformer Yugoslavia. Manythese were ex-Eastern Bloc soldiers who had no employment opportunities afterfall ofSoviet Union.
The largest mercenary outfit engagedactual warfare, Executive Outcomes, consists largelyformer members ofthen white-dominated South African miltiary. EO operatesbattalion strengthorganic helicopter gunship support.
It could be argued that paramilitary forces under private controlfunctionally mercenaries insteadsecurity guards. However, national governments reserverightstrictly regulatenumber, naturearmamentssuch private forces.
Mercenaries andLawsWar
Mercenariesoften considered illegal combatants according tolawswar, as theynot undercommand ofcommissioned officer ofnational government. Captured mercenariesoften treated as common criminalscan expect execution, sometimes by torture.
Under United States law (the "Neutrality Act"), an American citizen who participatesan armed conflictwhichUnited Statesneutral may be subjectcriminal penalties.
The legal statuscivilian contractors, particularly logistics staffequipment technicians, servingmilitary forcesunclear. It has been argued that theyfunctionally mercenaries because theyassistingactive military operations even though theynot firing weapons atenemy. Thisnothypothetical concern. InUnited States Navyexample,typical aircraft carrier has between 50100 civilians aboard acting as technicians, manufacturer's representatives, etc.
See also privateer, Lettermarque
MercenariesPopular Culture
Like piracy,mercenary ethos resonatesidealized adventure, mysterydanger. A good example isbookmovie DogsWar which goes into some detail about an actual if fictionalized mercenary operationAfrica in1960s.
A magazine ostensibly writtenmercenary soldiersSoldierFortune.
In science fiction,well-known author Jerry Pournelle has written several books about science-fiction mercenaries kown as Falkenberg's Legion. Also, author David Drake has writtennumberbooks aboutfictional hovercraft armored regiment Hammer's Slammers. Both seriesbooksbrutaltheir portrayalcomplex low-intensity warfare despite technological advances.
See also The Magnificent Seven, ronin, yojimbo, Gurkha.
