Link to the Show / Show NotesSoldiers of Fortune, or
Mercenaries, have been used in war since the advent of war itself. The
Persians, the Romans, the Greeks all used mercenaries in their armies.
The trend continued into the middle ages when German Landsknechts and
Swiss Pikemen were in high demand. Other famous mercenary groups
include Cossacks, Ronin, and Pirates.
Now, the standard
definition of Mercenaries is given to us by Article 47 of Protocol I of
the 1949 Geneva Convention, which states that mercenaries are neither
combatants nor prisoners of war. Currently, the most popular form of
mercenary is the PMC (Private Military Contractor), which supplies
soldiers to governments to help them guard high profile targets, defend
installations, train local police, and so on.
Bounty Hunters are also still used by bail bondsmen to ensure that their clients go to court when they are supposed to.
Soldier of Fortune Magazine is designed to be read by the mercenary.
For more information, read:
Military History Magazine (June 2003): Cossack Pirates in the Black Sea
www.privatemilitary.org
CNN Special on Mercenaries
Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine
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