Reflections on the mercenary option

Abstract

Throughout recorded history mercenary soldiers have appeared as central players in organised warfare in the Western world. Contemporary discussions and analysis tend to be coloured either by assumptions about mercenary character and performance which stem from an idealised picture of the relationship between citizenship and military obligation in the twentieth century or by the romantic illusions created by popular culture. These assumptions along with the ‘politics of definition’ often form the backdrop for analyses of the use and performance of mercenary troops in other eras as well. A clear evaluation of mercenary performance requires avoiding a priori presumptions that automatically relegate all employment of mercenaries to the status of a second best option.