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Mercenaries are professional soldiers hired by factions for money. They have been used since ancient times, with Greek soldiers being particularly valuable. Mercenaries were prevalent during the Middle Ages and even fought in the American Revolutionary War. The use of mercenaries continues today, often referred to as private security forces.
A mercenary is a person who is a professional soldier for hire and will work for almost any faction that is willing to pay him. Most mercenaries aren’t concerned with the issues involved in a war; they are simply in it for the money. While hiring a mercenary may not be the first option for many armies, it can provide extra soldiers for those who would otherwise be outnumbered when they go into battle. Countries and armies have used mercenaries since at least the first millennium BC, and the practice continues to this day on a somewhat more limited scale.
While the exact chronology of when mercenaries arose is unclear, such people are known to have existed as far back as the Bronze Age, from 1,300 to 700 BC. So, Greek soldiers fought with Syrians and Egyptians for money. The Greeks, who were some of the most skilled warriors in the world at the time, were particularly valuable as mercenaries. In some cases, mercenaries may have been used to fight smaller battles, where the loss of other troops may have been considered unacceptable.
Although the use of mercenary soldiers continued to thrive, the practice became more prevalent during the Middle Ages. During this period of world history, companies of mercenary soldiers were formed to fight for anyone who hired them. These companies were called free companies or freelancers. Those who worked for them were called freelancers. This term is common today as the compound word freelancer and refers to anyone who is independently contracted to provide a service.
Mercenary soldiers also fought on behalf of England during the American Revolutionary War. Hence, it was the German soldiers called Hessians who were used to fight against the Americans trying to secure their freedom. These soldiers were considered highly skilled and as many as 22,000 may have been employed by the king to bolster the British forces. Germans were often used as mercenaries, dating back to Roman times when they were paid a share of taxes or land rights.
The use of mercenaries is still in use in many locations around the world, even by western nations. For example, Xe Services, formerly Blackwater USA, is an American private company that has supplied security forces to Iraq on a contract basis. In most cases, mercenaries today are no longer called hired soldiers, but rather private security forces.
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