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What were mercenaries motivated by?
A mercenary is a soldier in the service of a foreign power whose primary motivation is financial gain. A mercenary fights for a foreign nation for money (or for other inducements such as grants of land and admission to citizenship), not for ideology.
What do mercenary soldiers fight for?
Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rather than for political interests. Beginning in the 20th century, mercenaries have increasingly come to be seen as less entitled to protections by rules of war than non-mercenaries.
What is the purpose of a mercenary?
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.
How do mercenaries find work?
This makes them a dangerous force to work with. 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.
What is a mercenary army?
In simplest terms, a mercenary is an armed civilian paid to do military operations in a foreign conflict zone. For example, civilians conducting direct actions or training troops in foreign conflict zones are mercenaries because they are performing uniquely military functions.
What jobs do mercenaries do?
A mercenary will perform roles that range from training, advising, technical, maintenance, or direct security support for pay that is higher than typically realized by those serving in the armed forces of their home country due to the increased risk and austere locations of assignment.
Can you be a mercenary without military experience?
The majority of private military companies who provide mercenary-like work rarely hirer personnel who have zero military or police experience. If those occupational specialties are not available to you, then seek out one in a security related field such as military police.
Is it against the law to be a mercenary?
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.