Rsemmes
If only Britain had not only colonised Crimea but the entire world, we would all be living a much better life.
Cheers S.
The Russian-Ukrainian War Thread
If only Britain had not only colonised Crimea but the entire world, we would all be living a much better life.
Cheers S.
The French Foreign Legion are approximately 8000 strong and they are not mercenaries they are a part of the French armed forces, they are volunteers not hired guns.This is an example of an elite Mercenary. An ex army conscript with real combat experience, and then enlisting to U.S. Army as a Foreign Mercenary.
Worked with the Green Berrets, and portayed as some kind of hero who saved some American Soldiers with a self sacrifice, and never returned home. And whose role in the U.S. Army was actually an instruction or a teacher of specialized warfare.
You can of course screen your recruits, and take only those who you deem viable in the Service. If you want, you can also limit your recruits to those with real combat experience, or army backround. But a lot of solid people come from civilians with no combat experience, or army backround. You can also educate and instruct them. Drill them into viable units. You do not need to just throw them in the field with nothing to prepare. And you can mix in more greener recruits with those with actual experience as squad leaders.
However you want to arrange. But more often than not, its well worth the money if your objective is to win a war and you are not doing that well.
The France have also this Program called "Foreign Legion". The Roman Army had a conscription system too, and at least half of their troops were Auxilaries who came from foreign backrounds and fight for money. I would not call Roman Legions, or those Mercenaries especially weak. They were actually one of the finest. They had dire training regimes, and each of them were specialized in certain craft. There were also specialities the Romans did not have, and especially their cavalry were usually foreign mercenaries, that come from north africa.
The actual legions were usually Roman citizens, and their system was very successful and one of the most efficients in that time. Without Mercenaries, they would not have fared too well.
The life of a Roman Legion might not even include actual fighting. Some of them were stationed on vassalized areas, and they were so infamous, that even one Legion could hold a large territory, by just being there. The presense of even one Legion suppressed all the thoughts of mutiny in the local populace, even there would be tens of thousands time more people than in the Legion and the area the Legion was stationed in would be large, such as the area of modern France. The difference of there not being a Legion, and there being even one Legion was huge. It was a symbol of Roman rule, a presence of oppression, and meant that they could bring more. And the Legions itself would never have been successful without the use of Mercenaries. The Legionaries itself were one of the finest on their craft. But so were the Mercenaries. Slingers, Archers, Skirmishers, Scouts, Light Cavalry, Heavy Cavalry and so. The actual Legionaries being the Heavy Infantry, which forms the core of the Legion, and keeps the Legion in check. They advance the middle in the Shield Formation, while the Auxilaries harass and control, and keep the flanks.
Some Mercenaries have their pride of their own. And even to this day, there are some Martial Mercenary Traditions such as the Gurkha Tradition in Nepal. Russians have actually used Gurkha Fighters they have bought from Nepal. They have Mercenary Schools, who train young boys to be elite soldiers or law enforcers and especially Signapore hires them as Polices, India hires them in the army, and the UK have traditionally kept a Gurkha Battallion. But i suppose, the India made a coup with Russia, so that they did not hire, and dissolved some Gurkhas, so that they have no one to hire them. Allowing Russias to hire a large Group of Gurkhas and then some untrained Nepalese Civilians to fight under Russian Army in Ukraine. Getting a few Gurkha Brigades, or even a Battallion is a great boon to your Army. They are disciplined soldiers who come from a martial tradition.
For Ukraine, it would be way more advantageous to be able to hire the Gurkhas to fight with them against Russia. Rather than fight against Gurkhas that have been recruited by the Russians.
Gurkhas are Mercenaries and the whole point of their tradition is to become Mercenaries, so that foreigners hire them as Soldiers or Specialized Police units that have been trained to combat situations. For Riot Control, Hostage Situations and so. This is the life they choose, and in Nepal some of the people might have little other options.
I would not exactly say, for example. That hiring Gurkhas lead to bad things, and result only as a Mutiny. They too have a reputation to upheld. And it wont exactly help to hire troops that have been graduated from their fighting schools if they dont behave and offer value for your money.
Africa is full of all kind of militias and insurgents who have real combat experience, but might be less disciplined than for example, Gurkhas.
Latin and Middle America is full of all kind of criminal organizations and cartels, who have hardened people with real combat experience.
Middle East is full of all kind of people with real combat experience, or at least experience in the conflict zone. The latest achievement is in Syria, where an insurgent civilian Group succeeded in a coup against their actual standing army (al-Sharaa). In Mali, they are now attacking their military junta, which is backed by the Russian Mercenaries. And upon last information, the Russian Mercenaries were forced to abandon their positions.
Afghanistan is full of insurgents and hardened folk, who are specialized in guerilla warfare and using mountanous terrain. And its also one of the poorest regions on earth, with incomes similar to few dollars in month. 100 000 dollars might well mean World to them, if not for their entire village. One of them leaves as a mercenary, then everyone can prosper.
Any of them might well offer even a trained professional career soldier a run for their money. And might know a trick or two they never even heard of.
And of course Russia, is full of Mercenary Companies like Wagner Group and even the United States had one, operating in Africa, which i think is now dissolved. Bakhmut i suppose, was mostly captured by Wagner Group Mercenaries. They had a high amount of losses and were using mostly Convicts that were recruited from Prisons on prospect of getting out of Prison after the Service. But got the job done regardless and forced the Ukrainians to pull back. They formed these so called Storm-Z units, who were then pushed against Ukrainian positions endlessly until the Ukrainians ran out of steam and the mercenaries, did not. And after this, the remaining Mercenaries were supposedly released, and went back to Russian civil society. The amount of convicts they used were stated among the lines of 200 000 and the amount of casualties they had was reportedly around 50 000 in the Bakhmut sector only. So some of them actually survived, and become free citizens in stead of a life in Prison or so. And some of them, of course conducted new assault on Russian civilian populace like rape, murder and such and are back in Prison again. But because they are now War Heroes, they supposedly treat them better than normal convicts and are feeling somehow special for that.
How i understand, also Ukrainians have adopted a use of convicts to some extend. And how i have been told, they use Mercenaries they hire from Latin American drug cartels, who then come in the disguise of a volunteer, but are actually paid to come fighting in Ukraine. I do not know is this true or not, but there are this kind of rumors and if you think about it, it makes sense. They need more soldiers, same as Russia. And while your casualties pile up, you need new soldiers endlessly. If you cannot bring them, your army just might crumble for having manpower shortages. The casualties in the Ukrainian and Russian troops are somewhere along the millions. If not now, before long, it will be. And you need to constantly bring some more. Especially, if you are the one advancing.
The brigade of British Gurkhas is a volunteer force recruited in Nepal, they are not a mercenary unit they are part of the British armed forces.The French Foreign Legion are approximately 8000 strong and they are not mercenaries they are a part of the French armed forces, they are volunteers not hired guns.
I think y
I don't think that you have any real understanding of what a mercenary is.Yes. I call that winning.
To cripple the society that is attacking your society. I call that winning.
And / or to conquer them and subdue them militarily. I definetely call that winning.
At the moment Russia is advancing in Ukraine and conquering ever more territories. This is the reality. It actually looks like Russia is winning.
Which is why. They would need to get their act together if they aim to inflict the so called "strategic loss" on Russia.
You might not entirely grasp what i mean.
Lets put it like this.
You have 200 000 Professional Soldiers in your army. Ok. You are fine with it and you go with it. You acquire nothing more and that is all you have.
Then the other you have 200 000 Professional Soldiers in your army. Then you acquire 300 000 Mercenaries and ten million drones.
You understand what i mean ?
You still have the Professional soldiers. You only gain more.
You somehow think, that the Professional soldiers are suddenly removed, and they wont exist anymore. Why would you do that ?
You KEEP your professional soldiers and THEN you hire Mercenaries to supplement them. Which makes their job so much easier and they WILL be thankful to fight along 300 000 Mercenaries when you acquired them to help on their job.
Now you compare those armies. The other have 200 000 Professionals and nothing more.
The other have the same 200 000 Professionals and 300 000 Mercenaries.
Which one you like more ?
Its not about me. I am nothing. I just give ideas and use my boredom. Dont think about me. Think about you. And if there is anything i say that you could use or enjoy, then do that. If not, then im sorry.
My aim is to help. And i want to help Ukraine.
They are losing territory, and they want them back. It will not be easy. And they will not have the strength to do it alone.
And even supporting their cause in internet is helping them, as the Russians aim to undermine it all the time and spread lies.
DO NOT mistake the Russian attack on Ukraine in anything else than conquering a territory from another country. Everything else is a lie.
Would you not accept 300 000 mercenaries if they would come free, to fight along Australia when Austrlia is attacked ?
Would you say "no, we do not accept your help, we use only our own professional soldiers and no outside force can help us it will undermine our army" ?
What i am suggesting is SUPPLEMENTING the existing Ukrainian force with Mercenaries. And the model i gave was meant to be entertaining in the minds of the worst of the capitalists.
Saying no to 300 000 soldiers to help you in war is not exactly very clever. Who would fight for you ,and die for you. Do you disrespect their sacrifice for your country because they made it for money ?
Are you this proud, that you would for example, rather lose a war and lose your country. Than accept help from a mercenary ?
Do you really despise Mercenaries that much ?
Then what about this. Do you get paid salary if you work in Australian army. Does that make you a mercenary and you should work for free. You are actually paid money to work in Australian army to become a professional. So what you do is then wrong ? You should not take the money. Say to them, i dont need the salary. I will work for free because its the just and honorable thing to do.
Are Australian army personnels paid salaries ?
Isnt this what makes them professionals. Professional means that you are being paid. How is mercenary then not a professional. Mercenary is an Independent. But its stlil a Professional fighter. I suggest you not disrespect them and not look down on them. They might actually be more skillful and dangerous than you think. Mercenaries ARE professionals.
Do you think it wont take courage to take up arms and fight for someone who pay you for it ?
What if you do it from honorable reason. Your mother is sick, she needs money for treatment. You have no other options and you are poor. Then they offer you 100 000 dollar to come fight in a war as a mercenary. Do you think that person is complete shit who does that. Who wont have honor ?
He is actually going in there in the harms way, putting his life on the line for his sick mother. And you despise and disrespect him for that ? That he is "trampling on the soldiers honor" ? What is this ?
Then what about work life ? Should all salaries be taken away from all workers. In some societies they wont pay you salaries. In Communist i suppose, they might not. No one have private property.
Either you have understood me completely wrong. Or we have very different world views which makes it interesting.
Australia in itself might be very different than for example, Europe. Which makes also Australian people very different.
You clearly think in a very different way. Me personally, i dont see any wrong in using Mercenaries as long as its voluntary. Meaning, they are not forced to become mercenary, but make the choise on their free will.
Some mercenaries are actually better on what they do, than your average professional army soldier.
People who choose to become mercenaries, are not pushovers. They are solid people.
You speak of Mercenaries as they would make your odds in winning the war lower.
That when you hire mercenaries, your army actually becomes weaker on having them and you would be better without.
I dont understand this at all.
There seems to be also some form of restriction how you can win ? That you can only win on certain terms or way.
If you win on some other way, it wont count as winning. But if it result as a successful operation, why does it matter in the end ?
You conquer the enemy, and enemy is vanquished. No matter how the vanquished enemy say that its not a win. I would still call it a win.
A win is a win. Even if the methods are questionable.
This is why Russians are doing what they do. For example threatening people on rape, killing of their relatives and so, if they dont go there fighting for them. Its not honorable. But they get soldiers still.
What bout your commanding officer. Would they accept mercenaries if they get them for free ?
Or say no and then fight without ?
It takes courage to do what you do. I would take them.
To say no certainly takes courage. To say no to help for ideological reasons.
"im not fighting with them. They are scum. I would rather be vanquished and my army to lose, than accept help from THEM"
Proud. And a lot of courage. But maybe result in a catastrophic military loss.
A larger, and possibly stronger force would have helped you on your fight. But you say no because they are paid to fight. (and then a salary comes to your account still).