What are mercenaries and who did they fight for?

mercenary, hired professional soldier who fights for any state or nation without regard to political interests or issues. From the earliest days of organized warfare until the development of political standing armies in the mid-17th century, governments frequently supplemented their military forces with mercenaries.

Are mercenaries a war crime?

A mercenary, as defined in article 1 of this Convention, who participates directly in hostilities or in a concerted act of violence, as the case may be, commits an international crime for the purposes of the Convention.

How do you become an African mercenary?

How to Become a Mercenary

1. Geneva Convention Article 47. Mercenaries.
2. Step 1 – Obtain military or law enforcement related experience.
3. Step 2 – Obtain proficiency in a foreign language.
4. Step 3 – Get into great physical shape.
5. Step 4 – Build your resume.
6. Step 5 – Gather required documentation.

Why is mercenary illegal?

Geneva Convention The use and recruitment of mercenaries are legally forbidden by the 1989 International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries. A mercenary is defined as any person who is specially recruited locally or abroad in order to fight in an armed conflict.

Who do mercenaries work for?

Mercenaries usually work for private military contractors (PMC). These companies recruit people who have military training or have experience with weapons as “security contractors” to provide armed combat or security services for state or non-state actors that seek it.

When did mercenaries stop being used?

The last time a state used a mercenary army was in 1854, during the Crimean War. Mercenaries of the sea, known as “privateers,” were also employed by states.

Can you legally be a mercenary?

Are Mercenaries Legal – the Geneva Convention The 1989 International Convention made the recruitment, use, training, and financing of mercenaries illegal. The use of PMCs and mercenaries is legal in countries that did not sign the UN treaty.

What kind of people are mercenaries?

A mercenary, sometimes known as a soldier of fortune, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, who takes part in military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military.

Are mercenaries still a thing?

There are more mercenaries in the world now than at any time in the past. The US government is the biggest employer of mercenaries; they call them “ Private military contractors”, but under international law and the Geneva Conventions, they’re quite clearly, and indisputably, mercenaries.

Why does the military hire mercenaries?

Mercenaries have often been employed to overthrow unstable governments in developing counties and provide the critical manpower (often with a limited number of combatants) for many small-scale coup d’états. The International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries (the U.N.