Mercenarism has existed for a very long time, this concept cannot be considered modern. Even during the time of Alexander the Great, during his campaign in Asia (334 BC), there were about five thousand mercenaries in his army. Moreover, the enemy's army included twice as many mercenaries.
In general, it should be noted that mercenary soldiers took an active part in almost all armed conflicts, from ancient times to our time. According to the results of research by historians, references to foreign mercenaries who serve in foreign armies for money have been recorded for 25 centuries. During the existence of the Persian Empire, about 10 thousand Greek mercenary soldiers took part in the civil war. Such evidence makes it possible to form a certain idea of such a widespread phenomenon today as mercenarism. This phenomenon is most vividly presented in the period of transition from the Middle Ages to the modern period, when the monarchies were replaced by modern states. It was thanks to the monarchs and feudal European rulers that foreign mercenary soldiers appeared in the armies, and they used them not only in their own country, but also abroad. So, for example, in the 12th century in England, mercenary soldiers were hired from Navarre, the Basque country, Galloway. In the 16th century, among the mercenaries were mainly Germans, Dutch, Burgundians, and after almost two centuries, residents of Northern Ireland, France, Denmark, Prussia and Sweden appeared among the mercenaries. The French monarchs also used mercenaries in their wars. So, in the XV-XVI centuries, soldiers from Switzerland, Germany, England, Italy, Poland, Greece, Scotland and Ireland were recruited into the French troops.
The Spanish army also had a large number of mercenaries: 3 Irish and one English and one Scottish regiment were represented in it. Italy also kept pace with the general fashion. Here, throughout the 13th century, foreign mercenaries were constantly recruited to defend the Italian city-states, and after a very short time, the country was literally overrun with mercenaries who were looking for work.
Switzerland was considered the market leader in the provision of mercenaries. It was Swiss officers who were the first in the world to create an official system for the commercial recruitment of soldiers. At the same time, German mercenaries served in almost all armies in the world. Thus, the German mercenaries provided substantial assistance in the construction of almost all European states.
Such facts indicate that in the Middle Ages, mercenarism occupied a large segment in European foreign trade, and hired soldiers were the main commodity in it.
Since the 16th century, significant changes have taken place in the recruitment of mercenaries. The European states that exist in our time, in that historical period, only began to appear against the background of constant civil wars and conflicts. European monarchs, wishing to strengthen their own states, recruited foreign soldiers into the national armies. Thus, mercenaries, as standard army units, were responsible for suppressing riots and uprisings. It is noteworthy that not only monarchs used the services of mercenaries. The insurgent strata of the population also used the services of foreign soldiers. For example, when religious wars broke out in France, mercenaries took an active part in them, and from both opposing sides. And the money earned in this way was later spent on the founding of their own noble families and the creation of independent states of their own.
According to some historians, among the mercenaries, some monarchs preferred to hire not the Swiss, but the Germans, because they were not very united among themselves, and, therefore, they could be bought much cheaper. Again, during the years of the French religious wars, more than 14 thousand German mercenaries were under the banner of the Huguenots.
In the next century, the number of foreign mercenaries in the armies of European states was about 60 percent of the total number of armed formations. After another century, mercenary activities spread even more. And the primacy in the supply of hired soldiers already belonged to Germany. So, in particular, the British army consisted almost entirely of German mercenaries. In addition, German soldiers and officers, together with mercenaries from France, Ireland and Scotland, made up the Dutch army. In the French army, the number of Swiss and German soldiers was approximately the same. In addition, there were soldiers from Italy and Ireland.
In the 19th century, when the process of creating national states began, the mercenary army gradually gave way to the national one. Accordingly, the level of legitimacy of such a phenomenon as mercenary activity has dropped significantly. The newly created states could no longer recruit mercenary soldiers outside their borders. Thus, foreign soldiers began to be used outside state systems. For example, in 1830 Brazil hired German and Irish mercenaries to fight against Argentina, and in 1853 Mexico recruited German mercenaries to prevent a coup d'état.
It should be noted that the reasons for the transition from mercenarism to national armies are highly controversial and controversial. However, despite this, France and Great Britain continue to use foreign mercenaries in their armies to this day.
As for the twentieth century, it is marked by the manifestation of nationalism among mercenaries, that is, the armies of states were formed for the most part from soldiers and officers - citizens of this state. A similar phenomenon was noted during the world wars, when the population en masse voluntarily went into service and fought for their country. At the same time, foreign mercenaries continued to serve in foreign armies. In particular, French mercenaries continued to serve on the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, even after these countries gained independence; Spanish mercenaries remained to serve in the Portuguese army, the Greeks in Cyprus and Ghana; Pakistani officers are employed in the military units of Libya, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain. The most famous foreign legions of the 20th century were the French and Spanish foreign legions.
In the middle of the century, the use of mercenaries was substantially limited by international instruments and regulations. These documents stipulated that the international community should instill a belief in the immorality of using hired military force outside the national army, as well as preach the rule of conflict of interest, since it was believed that mercenaries were fighting for personal (in this case, financial) interests. So, in particular, the UN adopted a number of resolutions that condemned the practice of mercenaries. In 1970, the Declaration on the Principles of International Law was signed, which concerned cooperation and friendly relations between states. This document proclaimed a ban on the organization of hired armed units to invade foreign territories. In 1974, a Resolution was adopted on the legal regime of regular troops who took part in hostilities and adhered to the laws of war. This document states that mercenarism is a criminal offense. Three years later, in 1977, two additional protocols to the Geneva Conventions were adopted, and in 1989 the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Prohibition of the Recruitment, Training, Use and Financing of Mercenaries, which, however, entered into force only 12 years later.
Despite all these documents, foreign military personnel continued to be recruited to participate in armed conflicts. So, about 40 thousand mercenaries from 50 states were raised to defend the Spanish Republic. At the same time, mercenary German, French and Romanian soldiers were recruited for the army of the dictator Franco. Mercenary force was actively used in Asia and the Middle East. However, foreign soldiers were most widespread in Africa, especially in the second half of the twentieth century, during the decolonization of the continent, when military conflicts broke out in Nigeria, Congo, Mozambique, Rhodesia, Angola, Namibia (all of these countries are located in the south of the continent). The only large-scale conflict that took place in northern Africa is the war in Algeria, in which French mercenaries were actively involved in a brutal but hopeless war against local nationalists.
All local conflicts that periodically arose in the process of decolonization, became the basis for the emergence of the modern concept of mercenarism in Africa. Foreign mercenary legions have played a very controversial role in the politics of African states. The actions of the mercenaries proved that the continent has become a hotbed of Western interference in the internal politics of a foreign state for selfish purposes. The military conflicts in Congo and Nigeria, as well as in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) have demonstrated that Western countries, in particular the United States of America and Great Britain, were involved in arming and financing foreign mercenaries.
Some changes in the use of mercenary military force appeared at the end of the last century, when a large number of private military companies appeared. According to some experts, their appearance is associated with the end of the Cold War, when a large number of professional military personnel, well-trained and ready at any time to enter into confrontation, turned out to be idle. In addition, the emergence of private structures was also facilitated by the emergence of a new economic model of management, in which it became possible to use private forces to ensure their own security. Private military companies, which operated on a completely legal basis, recruited experienced military personnel and offered their services internationally. The first such company emerged back in 1967 in Great Britain, its staff was formed from former special forces. David Sterling became the head of the organization. The company provided military training services for Asia and the Middle East. In the early 1990s, the South African Executive Outcomes and the British Sandline almost completely captured the market for private security and military services. Both of these companies have played an important role in military conflicts on the African continent, in particular in Angola and Sierra Leone.
Modern private military companies are much more complex than simple mercenaries, and how they will develop in the future depends to a large extent on the development of clear definitions and relations with the state.
As for mercenarism, in many states it is prohibited and punishable by law, but this does not stop those who want to try their luck and earn good money. Many print media advertise the recruitment of former military personnel; there are recruitment points in America, England, France, Belgium, and Germany. And no laws and prohibitions can stop this process - this is a business that brings big profits and no one is going to give up.
