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| 20 Jul 2016 07:36 PM |
There are a number of misconceptions that I've noticed about the usage of mercenaries and foreign enlists in historical warfare, largely due to the fact that nowadays they are thought of very differently to how they were throughout most of history. I would like to quickly state for legal reasons that I do not in any way shape or form endorse treason or mercenaries or anything of the sort that may potentially be illegal before we continue along with this and that this is just for the benefit of more historically accurate RPs.
First, you may be wondering what mercenaries and foreign enlists are. Mercenaries are professional soldiers, generally part of organized military companies, who aid in the fighting of wars as part of organized military companies that seek out formal contracts with governments, if I'm not mistaken. Foreign enlists, on the other hand, are individuals who may or may not be professional soldiers who individually and voluntarily enlist in wars that their own country is not part of on the behalf of another belligerent in the war.
With that out of the way, onto the modern perception of them. Nowadays, they are very rare. There is only one mercenary company in existence in all of Europe, the Atholl Highlanders, and they don't actively participate in armed conflicts nowadays - they mostly do fancy parades in Scotland. Mercenaries in other parts of the world are a bit more common than that, but they are still, generally speaking, a rarity.
As recently as several hundred years ago, on the other hand, mercenary companies were commonly employed as soldiers in armies. Swiss mercenaries were sought after, entire Italian city-states had their primary economy as selling their army as mercenaries and the British army, in fighting the Revolutionary War, hired many mercenaries from the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel ("Hessians"). Earlier than that, Flemish mercenaries were used in the Anarchy and the Byzantines, as a source of extra revenue, would mercenary away the Varangian Guard to people who paid enough money.
As warfare was given higher prestige then as today, inexperienced or more individualist soldiers would independently enlist in conflicts - the English poet Lord Byron joined the Greeks in their war for independence from the Ottomans, 40,000 Scotsmen (15% of the adult male population at the time) went to the HRE between 1618 and 1640, Crusaders from all walks of life would join the Crusades to earn money, glory and maybe even tracts of land in the Holy Land.
Basically mercenaries were common back in the day and being a mercenary was a respectable occupation. Some of you may have known this already, some of you may not have known this already, I really don't know. Those of you who play D&D probably do know this for sure as parties of D&D adventurers are basically small, highly specialized and powerful mercenaries some of the time. |
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| 20 Jul 2016 07:52 PM |
| Did you know that Private Military Companies and Mercs are totally different, and that PMCs are exempt from international law (providing they originated from the US, UK, Russia, or China)? |
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benzo2
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| Joined: 02 Jun 2008 |
| Total Posts: 18020 |
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| 20 Jul 2016 08:05 PM |
I'm not really sure anyone aside from yourself aims for historically accurate RPs. Not that that's a bad thing, we're all just too lazy; Complete fiction is easier. |
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| 20 Jul 2016 08:59 PM |
Blackwater is perhaps the most active mercenary company of the turn of the millennia, being active during the United States' incursions into the middle east as ground forces and so called "assassination squads," among many other things most likely.
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| 20 Jul 2016 09:10 PM |
| Blackwater was only active in the Iraq war that I know of and probably a small handful that I don't, and it is indeed the only 21st century mercenary company that I can name off the top of my head. That just goes to the point that I'm making that they're extraordinarily rare nowadays, and public opinion about Blackwater isn't very high either, from my own personal experience. |
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| 20 Jul 2016 10:46 PM |
A multitude of incidents, namely involving the killing of civilians by Blackwater and potentially insurgents, has brought public opinion of them down considerably. They still operate under contract from the US, however.
Otherwise, yes, you'd be hard pressed to find many merc companies known to the public
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MrStilts
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| Joined: 07 Nov 2012 |
| Total Posts: 3729 |
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| 20 Jul 2016 11:01 PM |
| Maybe one of you gents can tell me where the idea that mercenaries are badass commando units that can take on normal soldiers easily came from? Or is that the actual truth and they are ultra skilled combatants? |
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| 20 Jul 2016 11:11 PM |
| In the middle ages mercenaries were generally the only professional fighters while the bulk of the army was comprised of conscripted farmers without much formal training. I know very little of how it is today, though. |
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| 20 Jul 2016 11:17 PM |
Mercs throughout history had to be one of two things to make them worth the price; skilled, or numerous, otherwise the kings and vassals could just levy farmers and accomplish the same goal, only for cheaper. The mercs we hear about the most, such as swiss pikemen, highlanders, Varangian guards, and Genoese crossbowmen were generally very skilled, thus creating the stereotypical "badass merc." As for the actual truth behind the stereotype, it really depends on who you look at. Some mercs really were just that good, others were simply cannon fodder.
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| 20 Jul 2016 11:19 PM |
You're all disgusting pizza-faced pimply nerds who spend way too much time researching the stupidest of things that will never benefit you in the real world.
Go out and kayak you couch potatoes.
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| 20 Jul 2016 11:23 PM |
I write, edit, do archery, shoot, go on retreats and activities, collect knives, etc You are an sh.it, Prec
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| 20 Jul 2016 11:25 PM |
| It's also worth noting that, as mercenaries have no emotional affiliation to the country that they are fighting for, they are much less likely to put themselves in the more deadly positions - what's the point in being paid if you can't spend your money? |
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