Mercenaries get bad press....but it's undeniable that they have value. The LRA led a 10 year reign of terror in Sierra Leonne, killing and maiming at will, with the Government unable to stop them. Executive Outcomes (full of South African mercenaries) defeated them in 6 months. These same mercenaries, as mentioned in the video, more-or-less defeated Boko Haram in Nigeria (and located the 200 kidnapped Chibok girls)...Boko Haram's recent resurgence has only come after the Nigerian governments withdrawal of the South African mercenaries.
Right, and to correct more, the Boko Haram wasn't trying to sabotage the elections. But they were just a nuisance disturbing the peace and killing people for some cynical reasons. Virtually everyone has already forgotten about
I think they're underappreciated today due to politics. Many of the wars since WW1 have face issues since they'll lack experienced men or experienced trainers in some armies and have to rely on men without real experience to train conscripts and throw them into combat. Mercenaries can have experience in different climates or different styles of combat and they can offer their experience as trainers or as an experienced core of soldiers to serve as elites in an army
@@arthas640 Governments (supported by their media mouthpieces) don't like the idea of independent soldiers. In the end all things will always come down to force, and governments want a monopoly on force.
When I was younger I used to follow Mad Mike's Hoare's career in the press. I recall an interview he conducted on the old "Tomorrow Show" with host Tom Snyder in 1978. He was quite engaging. What's most surprising is the fact he is still alive at the ripe old age of 99! He turns 100 in March.
I mean you act as though one of the oldest professions is somehow weird, up until a few hundred years ago the majority of the wars were fought by mercs..
that's like thinking hunter gatherers had a Life expectancy in the thirties; IRL that's the early industrial age you're thinking of; most Wars have been fought by clan militias.
Mercenary is one of the most fascinating careers in all of history to me. They've been more or less necessary to every state in all of history to deal with countless wars and political disputes . But at the same time they're dangerous to keep around in large numbers since they have a tendency to turn against you and loot and pillage at a moments notice over something as simple as a pay dispute.
It should be remembered being a mercenary does not mean you are without your political beliefs. Many of the mercenaries who fought in the Congo, including Mad Mike Hoare, were very anti-Communist, and what was left out here was Hoare faced off and beat Che Guevara in the Congo. Of the ones listed here I find Hoare to be the most interesting because he was organized and understood how to build a fighting force from scratch. Being a charted accountant might seem like a joke to some, but it also meant he understood finances and the importance of organization (I believe he trained as an accountant before enlisting in the British Army during WWII).
Can I just correct you on a few facts regarding the South African "mercenaries". These guys were not apartheid regime racists who became mercenaries. We were all just normal guys who served in the defence force and some of us went on after years of service to become contractors or private military operators. Mainly because some guys loved their work and spent years doing what they loved and decided to persue it after retiring from the army
Yeah , that's what bothered me a bit. Of course some of them will still hold racist views but to put them in a blanket statement is just wrong in my opinion.
Yes, you don't have anything against floppies... these dom okies really seem get in the way. Why did you call them floppies. Is that the sound their dead bodies make as they hit the ground. I watched these types of guys in Angola 1976 and they are MUCH MUCH more disgusting than you imagine. Anyone who stuck round and didn't run (Like quit a few of us yellow chickens) was involved and should be considered guilty until proved beyond reasonable doubt to be innocent.
@@johnbondza that's not how justice works and u didn t know all these men and I say they saved south Africa from the communist even if it was short lived
@@joshualance6005 America saved South Africa from democracy. They also saved Chile from Democracy in early 1970s. Argentina, Panama, Indonesia, Congo and countless others were saved from democracy, ofte many times. We're encouraged to see Russia saving America from democracy by supporting and working with Trump. No collusion you see, just mutual assistance. Mutual assistance was EXACTLY what the USA called it too. By 1975, there was no steam left in the USSR policies. Only the Cubans fought for Communism in Africa. America fought for dictatorships completely loyal to the US. The only way you Yankies can sing " ... The brave and the free" is by attacking very little countries and trying to suppressing freedom everywhere else". Syria was too big for the USA so youve left it to others including Russia. Even the small country of Vietnam, Ethiopia and Libya became too big for the USA. You have the 2nd Amendment right to own any type of gun so you can kill people. All civilised countries shake their heads In disbelief. Unfortunately thats all America knows. Murder and Dictatorship. Welcome home. Congratulations Emperor Trump.
@@johnbondza no we had trade embargo on south Africa during apartheid now they are communist. Lybia was a dictatorship and the revolution started before usa got involved. Argentina was backed by the usa as was Panama a huge mistake but the communist were worse than the dictators. Syria has been leveled and we only attacked Syria because of Isis was taking the entire middle east including Iraq who had just started to stabilize. And we were never really involved in Congo. And we have never been in Ethiopia that was Somalia Also trump has bashed Russia every chance he gets and condemns them all the time so how do u think he is controlled by Russia wouldn't he support Russia if he was? And new warfare no longer allowed full on warfare back in the day we leveled cities and dropped nukes we could still do that but everyone would hate the usa for genocide. Vietnam was also a defensive war we went over there thinking the south was willing to fight for freedom like the Koreans but they did not want to fight so we pulled out
How misguided you are sir... stating that all South Africans serving during the Apartheid Years on the border wars between Angola, Cuba, Russia and the old RSA. They were ordinary service men, having to serve when they were called up. Some were racists yeah, but to say all the mercenaries serving now that served in RSA are racist. By that logic I could call all British serving “creators of concentration camps etc...” That’s rubbish mate
Your so out of date. Many soldiers in the UK can’t get work and end up on the streets. So the private security service is an obvious choice. Also many struggle to fit back into civi life.
In 1967, Polish mercenary Rafal Gan Ganowicz was asked what it felt like to take a human life, he answered: "I wouldn't know, I've only ever killed communists" *BASED*
Fallacious argument. Mr. Orwell had been a colonial police officer, and he was being ironic because of his firsthand experience when he wrote this. Because the "enemy" was usually the nations conquered by European empires, and the violence visited upon them was usually one sided and disproportionate, in the name of preserving their ill-gotten gains
I'd like to point out something. This is just a guess on my part but it seems like the conclusion isn't that hard to understand. One of the men on this list said he would not train certain people unless they had certain experiences. It seems to me that he said that because when someone has no love to draw from and in turn no pain, then the man would most likely hesitate at the moment of truth. Not easy to stay alive that way.
Terribly unfair that some of these guys, who were a bit like a racist gestapo (no, not all), didn't get pensions from the new majority South African government.
@@harmgregory4560 just like the racist S.A. communist goverment setting white wemon and children on fire stripping white people of their land and enciting a race war against white people. Maybe apartheid wasn't crazy.
Mercenary is actually not illegal. They changed their title to "contract worker" or "Private Military Contractor" because the term mercenary is getting worse nowadays so they prefer alternative title for it. Mercenary is actually very common up until World War 1.
Your assumptions about the South African soldiers are completely missing the boat and leaves me questioning just how accurate your input is on the other people.
If I was soldier who went to war after high school I’d look into becoming a mercenary. It’s your only actual profitable skill. Think of going to war as your degree. I think as long as you are picking contracts that don’t go against your values it’s really not that bad. It’s basically getting paid to do the same work for better pay, most of the soldiers in the middle east currently are contractors.
Mad Mike Hoare is a most interesting character. He wrote a number of books on his experiences in the Congo and leading #5 Commando (also known as The Wild Geese) and you can find them on Audible. In later life he served as technical adviser for the 1978 movie The Wild Geese (starring Richard Burton, Richard Harris and Roger Moore). Then a couple years later he organized a failed coup attempt to displace the Communist ruler of the Seychelles.
Raf Gan-Ganowicz. Keeping continuous fire on the Soviet "embassy" in Yemen (actually the hq of their "advisors"). Many so-called merc were actually people who had very concrete politiccal beliefs and weren't just hired guns they fought for what they believed was right while their countries didn't or weren't even independent. On the other side they had red revolutionaries who are rarely called mercenaries but they were in the same way as the people on the list. It was a war of ideas.
@@justinmeasday8930 Okay, a correction - if you get paid for that while you are not a part of a regular army. Though in a sense they are. Those who aren't conscripts that is.
That guy prefered the term condottieri because of negative connotations of mercenaries and the issue is only with the fact that some people may think that they will fight for anyone (he even gladly rejected the offer from rebels associated with Che Guevara in Bolivia who himself was as much of a mercenary as he was).
HAving worked with mercenaries ("Private Military Contractors" as my Uncle Sam likes to call them), I found that the saddest thing was seeing the change in these men (and a few women). Most merc's come from the military. All professional militaries instill pride, respect, disciple, and professionalism in their soldiers. But it does not take long for merc's to start to loose these traits. I saw men who only a year before were truly disciplined and fine soldiers, who now had no problems with killing civilians, raping women, and stealing anything that wasn't cemented in place. I worked and fought alongside the the US Army, Marine Corp., Navy, and Air Force, as well as Her Majesties Royal Marines. And I fought alongside merc's. The differences were startling and terrible. It was a major reason I got out of government service. I would be honored to fight alongside true soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen again, but I will never work with mercenaries (no matter what anyone wants to call them).
"who now had no problems with killing civilians, raping women, and stealing anything that wasn't cemented in place." I find it doubtful. What you just tag along?
Larry Thomas It’s standard from the Left. And they’ll only and exclusively label white people as racist. Every other racist scumbag that’s non white is a “freedom fighter”. White self loathing and white guilt is a strange affliction.
MacKenzie was not shoot in Bosnia. Specially not while he was training Gurkas (in Bosnia?) for action in Sierra Leone. He was killed in Sierra Leone, well after he has left Bosnia.
Everyone should experience being punched in the face at least once in their lives. I'd go as far as adding getting kicked in the head or face as well. In context, I mean getting kicked while standing. I don't mean while on the ground because of that punch either.
Those were some pretty ignorant low blows taken at ex SADF soldiers, painting them all like bloodthirsty racists like that. If you were so informed about the South African mercenary you would have included Eben Barlow and Executive Outcomes. As a side note: funny how most of these stories had a connection to South Africa in some way.
Ive seen people remark about how terribly unfactual your other videos are. Never thought much about it until I literally took 2 minutes to read the Wikipedia entry on Robert Mackenzie. “Shot in Bosnia”...what?? How do you get Sierra Leone confused with Bosnia, bruh? And the Gurkhas werent “training” to fight a war. They were in *Sierra Leone* to train Sierra Leonians. Maybe you shouldnt have an intern write your scripts
He has like 6 channels, relax. He and his team are obviously trying the best they can. Maybe stop being so critical over someone who does more in a week then you do in a year.
I'm sure mistakes have been made. But I still find his videos interesting. Also, you did one of the most important things you could ever do. You went and found out for yourself, and didn't just take everything at face value! Congratulations for thinking and operating on a much higher level than most. You've just beat level 3 of the simulation games!
@@dapper2407 So, it's okay to spread misinformation - and not correct it - because they're spreading themselves too thin? Here's a thought: Work just as hard in one week as 'the commenter you're dissing' does in a year, but use that time fact checking. It's all about *quality* over quantity when producing documentaries.
@@dapper2407 Sorry you don't want someone correct you to fix problem? How do you live your life with fixing problems on your own when you think that correcting is criticism? Are you perfect, what about your desire that you never will repair it.
fred burnham was in africa when at night he got in a river to sneak down and by the enemy. Imagine the nerve it takes to get in the water in africa at night
To anyone claiming otherwise: Soldiers and mercenaries differ in the way that soldier takes their orders and wages from a national government. Mercenaries choose their own missions due to demand and pay, sometimes devoid of morals. Respect your soldiers, they're the ones that keep you safe whatever you might think.
I denegrate a late 19th century man for “reportedly” having little “concern” for his family.... As if the technology then (idk- transportation, communication, and the work required for his chosen profession) lended to “contact”. FFS
Soldier of Fortune is by far my favorite nom de plum for mercs. I was obsessed with that magazine as a child, alas, I can’t shoot a gun for shite and could never take orders well.
If mercenaries are such a bad thing how come America relies so heavily on them to support their armed forces abroad, referring to them as PMC in a veiled effort to hide what they really are .
The general contempt in which you are holding mercenaries is not warranted. What counts is what the individual has done. Most mercenaries fought for causes they believed in. The thing was - during the Cold War - the Communists were trying to start revolutions to spread their bankrupt ideology all over the world. They'd send military and political advisors into poor countries and begin training units to push their revolutions. So - someone else hires mercenaries to train troops to resist these revolutions. Considering the state of most of the nations where these revolutions succeeded preserving the governments the rebels were trying to over throw may well have been the lesser of the evil choices that were extant. A lot of these wars are inherently dirty wars. The rebels are fighting dirty. They pretend to be innocent civilians during the day and then come kill your men at night. How would you feel about having that done to people whose lives were YOUR responsibility? You have fat, lazy, Western cultures where all the young people want is sex, drugs and rock & roll. They are not willing to go do something hard to try and save thousands if not millions from brutal oppressive regimes. So - you have wealthy people looking to preserve some aspect of their wealth - that hire mercenaries to fight the revolutionaries. They do it for their own reasons - but it gives the ordinary people of a nation an chance to resist monstrous ideologies.
Mercenaries are like prostitutes. You are not paying them for the job you are paying them to leave after. I don’t mean to malign them saying this. How many times have we seen a desperate nation accept help from a parent nation only to discover they’re now completely controlled by said nation. Just because a soldier swears an oath doesn’t mean they’re any less greedy or brutal.
Most of them were fleeing criminal prosecution for crimes committed under Apartheid, and SA intelligence and special operations forces were already familiar with the African mercenary trade. Combine their venality with the residual cruelty of former colonial governments lingering among African governments and their security forces, and then throw in the anarchy of 1990s Africa (Zaire, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia) and it was exactly perfect combination of circumstances to establish notoriety
You’re out of line Simon, I am a South African private contractor. I like to think that I am liberal in my political views. You have stereotyped a group of people you know nothing about in a very ignorant manner because of small minority of people who were just arseholes . I’ve worked closely with soldiers from all different backgrounds and countries .
It's ironic that the moniker fighting Irish literally came from Irish mercenaries but the greatest battle fought by the Irish army was against mercenaries..
Top Tenz seems to be down on the "guns for hire" trade. No where did he mention the benefits of using soldiers for hire. These dedicated professionals are involved in all matters of conflict in many different roles. He didn't mention the drop in the number of cargo ships being taken by Somali pirates since these shipping companies using contractors onboard their vessels to fight off pirates. Or the numerous security details these guys run all over the world. In theaters of war, they have and do bolster regular military in many support roles. As to why they do it? The money in most cases is excellent and why not capitalize on skills one has attained through years of training and conflict. Painting a picture of these guys as blood thirsty or war mongers is not accurate. Sure, there were some...most, however, that is not the case. A lot of these guys, once they returned to civilian life, got bored with the 9-5 lifestyle to the point of being depressed. Some company offers you 3-5 times what you could make in a year for a 6-9 month rotation and back into a lifestyle you enjoy....why wouldn't you?
So interesting! I have to say I love this channel and Biographics, just love learning so much. How do you and your team keep coming up with ideas for videos? Keep on Simon
Considering that it's a pera-military force officially recognized by the French government as a branch of arms they are more correctly considered a volunteer army. Rather then a mercenary group
@@michaelm9975 they arent para military, those are units like swat, gign. Military capable groups that arent military. The ffl are elite troops that are volunteers from all over the world.
As opposed to these individuals, over my many decades of reading, admittedly a lot of it being novels, I've come across mention of the Irish Wild Geese, the Swiss Mercenaries ( pikemen come to mind), and more recently the Flying Tigers. To add an individual, I believe Albrecht von Wallenstein could be could be considered a merc.
Mercenaries get bad press....but it's undeniable that they have value. The LRA led a 10 year reign of terror in Sierra Leonne, killing and maiming at will, with the Government unable to stop them. Executive Outcomes (full of South African mercenaries) defeated them in 6 months. These same mercenaries, as mentioned in the video, more-or-less defeated Boko Haram in Nigeria (and located the 200 kidnapped Chibok girls)...Boko Haram's recent resurgence has only come after the Nigerian governments withdrawal of the South African mercenaries.
Right, and to correct more, the Boko Haram wasn't trying to sabotage the elections. But they were just a nuisance disturbing the peace and killing people for some cynical reasons. Virtually everyone has already forgotten about
Break up Boko Harem ith new mercs and publicize it !
I think they're underappreciated today due to politics. Many of the wars since WW1 have face issues since they'll lack experienced men or experienced trainers in some armies and have to rely on men without real experience to train conscripts and throw them into combat. Mercenaries can have experience in different climates or different styles of combat and they can offer their experience as trainers or as an experienced core of soldiers to serve as elites in an army
@@arthas640 Governments (supported by their media mouthpieces) don't like the idea of independent soldiers. In the end all things will always come down to force, and governments want a monopoly on force.
When I was younger I used to follow Mad Mike's Hoare's career in the press. I recall an interview he conducted on the old "Tomorrow Show" with host Tom Snyder in 1978. He was quite engaging. What's most surprising is the fact he is still alive at the ripe old age of 99! He turns 100 in March.
A great man.surely hiring mercenaaries is more moral than conscription?
Mad Mike Hoare will turn 100 in March. What can one say about an old man in a profession where most die young?
Died aged 100 Feb 2, 2020
An apex predator in a field of predators.
@@networkbike543 Dead one year today.
Rest In Power
I still can't believe the airport fiasco; this blunder was so unlike a professional like Hoare. Still, he came out on top. What a man!
I mean you act as though one of the oldest professions is somehow weird, up until a few hundred years ago the majority of the wars were fought by mercs..
Typical wikipedia historian. Shame he wasnt born in Rhodesia like some of my friends, they had zero choice on their path in life. This wanker does.
They still are
Lots of Germans were leased from princes to fight for the British in 1776.
that's like thinking hunter gatherers had a Life expectancy in the thirties; IRL that's the early industrial age you're thinking of; most Wars have been fought by clan militias.
I thought the oldest profession was prostitution......... never heard that term used for soldiers of fortune
Mercenary is one of the most fascinating careers in all of history to me. They've been more or less necessary to every state in all of history to deal with countless wars and political disputes . But at the same time they're dangerous to keep around in large numbers since they have a tendency to turn against you and loot and pillage at a moments notice over something as simple as a pay dispute.
Mercenaries playground of destruction
It should be remembered being a mercenary does not mean you are without your political beliefs. Many of the mercenaries who fought in the Congo, including Mad Mike Hoare, were very anti-Communist, and what was left out here was Hoare faced off and beat Che Guevara in the Congo. Of the ones listed here I find Hoare to be the most interesting because he was organized and understood how to build a fighting force from scratch. Being a charted accountant might seem like a joke to some, but it also meant he understood finances and the importance of organization (I believe he trained as an accountant before enlisting in the British Army during WWII).
Can I just correct you on a few facts regarding the South African "mercenaries". These guys were not apartheid regime racists who became mercenaries. We were all just normal guys who served in the defence force and some of us went on after years of service to become contractors or private military operators. Mainly because some guys loved their work and spent years doing what they loved and decided to persue it after retiring from the army
Yeah , that's what bothered me a bit. Of course some of them will still hold racist views but to put them in a blanket statement is just wrong in my opinion.
Yes, you don't have anything against floppies... these dom okies really seem get in the way.
Why did you call them floppies. Is that the sound their dead bodies make as they hit the ground.
I watched these types of guys in Angola 1976 and they are MUCH MUCH more disgusting than you imagine. Anyone who stuck round and didn't run (Like quit a few of us yellow chickens) was involved and should be considered guilty until proved beyond reasonable doubt to be innocent.
@@johnbondza that's not how justice works and u didn t know all these men and I say they saved south Africa from the communist even if it was short lived
@@joshualance6005 America saved South Africa from democracy. They also saved Chile from Democracy in early 1970s. Argentina, Panama, Indonesia, Congo and countless others were saved from democracy, ofte many times.
We're encouraged to see Russia saving America from democracy by supporting and working with Trump. No collusion you see, just mutual assistance. Mutual assistance was EXACTLY what the USA called it too.
By 1975, there was no steam left in the USSR policies. Only the Cubans fought for Communism in Africa. America fought for dictatorships completely loyal to the US.
The only way you Yankies can sing " ... The brave and the free" is by attacking very little countries and trying to suppressing freedom everywhere else". Syria was too big for the USA so youve left it to others including Russia. Even the small country of Vietnam, Ethiopia and Libya became too big for the USA.
You have the 2nd Amendment right to own any type of gun so you can kill people. All civilised countries shake their heads In disbelief. Unfortunately thats all America knows. Murder and Dictatorship. Welcome home. Congratulations Emperor Trump.
@@johnbondza no we had trade embargo on south Africa during apartheid now they are communist. Lybia was a dictatorship and the revolution started before usa got involved. Argentina was backed by the usa as was Panama a huge mistake but the communist were worse than the dictators. Syria has been leveled and we only attacked Syria because of Isis was taking the entire middle east including Iraq who had just started to stabilize. And we were never really involved in Congo. And we have never been in Ethiopia that was Somalia Also trump has bashed Russia every chance he gets and condemns them all the time so how do u think he is controlled by Russia wouldn't he support Russia if he was? And new warfare no longer allowed full on warfare back in the day we leveled cities and dropped nukes we could still do that but everyone would hate the usa for genocide. Vietnam was also a defensive war we went over there thinking the south was willing to fight for freedom like the Koreans but they did not want to fight so we pulled out
How misguided you are sir... stating that all South Africans serving during the Apartheid Years on the border wars between Angola, Cuba, Russia and the old RSA. They were ordinary service men, having to serve when they were called up. Some were racists yeah, but to say all the mercenaries serving now that served in RSA are racist.
By that logic I could call all British serving “creators of concentration camps etc...”
That’s rubbish mate
ja, se ma vir hom. :p
Your so out of date. Many soldiers in the UK can’t get work and end up on the streets. So the private security service is an obvious choice. Also many struggle to fit back into civi life.
4,000 UK ex military are currently registered homeless
In 1967, Polish mercenary Rafal Gan Ganowicz was asked what it felt like to take a human life, he answered:
"I wouldn't know, I've only ever killed communists" *BASED*
Poetry.
Citation needed.
Mic drop
I can't believe he didn't mention Ganowicz nor Jan Zumbach.
No one claims he was a hero. He is just worth mentioning.
We sleep safe in our beds because violent men will visit violence on our enemies.
Fallacious argument. Mr. Orwell had been a colonial police officer, and he was being ironic because of his firsthand experience when he wrote this. Because the "enemy" was usually the nations conquered by European empires, and the violence visited upon them was usually one sided and disproportionate, in the name of preserving their ill-gotten gains
@@petergray2712 well the spoils always go to the victor. It's not fair. It is the ways of our species
I'd like to point out something. This is just a guess on my part but it seems like the conclusion isn't that hard to understand. One of the men on this list said he would not train certain people unless they had certain experiences. It seems to me that he said that because when someone has no love to draw from and in turn no pain, then the man would most likely hesitate at the moment of truth. Not easy to stay alive that way.
The South Africans were screwed by govt pensions. They lost their retirement and thus had to go back to work.
Terribly unfair that some of these guys, who were a bit like a racist gestapo (no, not all), didn't get pensions from the new majority South African government.
@@harmgregory4560 just like the racist S.A. communist goverment setting white wemon and children on fire stripping white people of their land and enciting a race war against white people. Maybe apartheid wasn't crazy.
@@sethlance8009 u no they're in Africa right
GUD
You know that S.A. can mean South Africa right?
GUD
....Being a Mercenary is illegal...being a 'Contract Worker' for Blackwater will earn you a decent paycheck..
I wonder how Mattias Nilsson would do at Blackwater
Mercenary is actually not illegal. They changed their title to "contract worker" or "Private Military Contractor" because the term mercenary is getting worse nowadays so they prefer alternative title for it. Mercenary is actually very common up until World War 1.
The EU or NATO say there illegal but the USA and British didn't agree/ vote on it so basically making it ok
John Licon ...I hope you grow out of that.
@John Licon So you're going to let the military train you then betray them? Wow.
Your assumptions about the South African soldiers are completely missing the boat and leaves me questioning just how accurate your input is on the other people.
He is a neo liberal
What do you expect of him?
If I was soldier who went to war after high school I’d look into becoming a mercenary. It’s your only actual profitable skill. Think of going to war as your degree. I think as long as you are picking contracts that don’t go against your values it’s really not that bad. It’s basically getting paid to do the same work for better pay, most of the soldiers in the middle east currently are contractors.
Except your family receive no pension when you get killed
you forgot roland the headless thompson gunner
I see you’re a warren zevon fan
Myth bud even tho i wish he was real merc
@@Raven0016 the man, the myth, the legend
Just checking to be sure Roland was mentioned.
"Time stands still till he evens up the score" - thank you Warren Zevon
In 1967 Polish mercenary Rafal Ganowicz was asked what it felt like to take a human life. He replied, “I wouldn’t know, I’ve only killed communists.”
Some communists are better people than most powerful capitalists.
Communists and left wingers are scum. Should all be taken for Helicopter rides.
Darth Vegeta Which is not to say communists are not very evil actors, just that we have some very evil capitalists.
A hit with a bullet from an FN proved almost always fatal.....Mad Mike.
Two oldest recorded professions in human history:
-Prostitutes
-Mercenaries
Why? The require nothing more than an able body.
Have you interviewed the South African mercenaries in order to determine their political views?
That might interfere with the virtue signaling.
He doesnt need too. He's a liberal, there for everyone around him except him is a racist bigot.
Them being racist and defending apartheid is quite literally well known though lmao
No he has not he just takes them and the rest of us to be racist. At least those South Africans got things done.
Mad Mike Hoare is a most interesting character. He wrote a number of books on his experiences in the Congo and leading #5 Commando (also known as The Wild Geese) and you can find them on Audible. In later life he served as technical adviser for the 1978 movie The Wild Geese (starring Richard Burton, Richard Harris and Roger Moore). Then a couple years later he organized a failed coup attempt to displace the Communist ruler of the Seychelles.
Raf Gan-Ganowicz. Keeping continuous fire on the Soviet "embassy" in Yemen (actually the hq of their "advisors"). Many so-called merc were actually people who had very concrete politiccal beliefs and weren't just hired guns they fought for what they believed was right while their countries didn't or weren't even independent. On the other side they had red revolutionaries who are rarely called mercenaries but they were in the same way as the people on the list. It was a war of ideas.
If you get paid for that, you are a mercenary. You can be a mercenary with a cause, but you are still a mercenary.
@@wahlex841 this would make virtually every soldier in the world a mercenary.
@@justinmeasday8930
Okay, a correction - if you get paid for that while you are not a part of a regular army.
Though in a sense they are. Those who aren't conscripts that is.
That guy prefered the term condottieri because of negative connotations of mercenaries and the issue is only with the fact that some people may think that they will fight for anyone (he even gladly rejected the offer from rebels associated with Che Guevara in Bolivia who himself was as much of a mercenary as he was).
Still, there's something incredibly hypocritical in fighting for a cause and making money out of this at the same time.
You have much to learn about South Africa Simon.
Yep he has much to learn and not from MSM.
"Are you a white South African claiming you've done nothing wrong? " Jim Jefferies
@@wootendaniel40 Like what?
It's a line from a Jim Jefferies stand up routine
Did you happen to notice title of the video was not "Top 10 Mercenaries of SOUTH AFRICA"?
HAving worked with mercenaries ("Private Military Contractors" as my Uncle Sam likes to call them), I found that the saddest thing was seeing the change in these men (and a few women). Most merc's come from the military. All professional militaries instill pride, respect, disciple, and professionalism in their soldiers. But it does not take long for merc's to start to loose these traits. I saw men who only a year before were truly disciplined and fine soldiers, who now had no problems with killing civilians, raping women, and stealing anything that wasn't cemented in place. I worked and fought alongside the the US Army, Marine Corp., Navy, and Air Force, as well as Her Majesties Royal Marines. And I fought alongside merc's. The differences were startling and terrible. It was a major reason I got out of government service. I would be honored to fight alongside true soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen again, but I will never work with mercenaries (no matter what anyone wants to call them).
"who now had no problems with killing civilians, raping women, and stealing anything that wasn't cemented in place." I find it doubtful. What you just tag along?
@@anon2034 No, I did my job. Tried to stop what I could. But the people up the chain of command were often looking the other way.
Calling the South African mercenaries “racist” is not only offensive, it is a stereotype. Get ALL the info
Larry Thomas
It’s standard from the Left. And they’ll only and exclusively label white people as racist. Every other racist scumbag that’s non white is a “freedom fighter”.
White self loathing and white guilt is a strange affliction.
MacKenzie was not shoot in Bosnia. Specially not while he was training Gurkas (in Bosnia?) for action in Sierra Leone. He was killed in Sierra Leone, well after he has left Bosnia.
I love our morally superior sensitive bearded man host... who's never been in a street fight. Yet really needs a punch in the face.
Everyone should experience being punched in the face at least once in their lives. I'd go as far as adding getting kicked in the head or face as well. In context, I mean getting kicked while standing. I don't mean while on the ground because of that punch either.
Those were some pretty ignorant low blows taken at ex SADF soldiers, painting them all like bloodthirsty racists like that. If you were so informed about the South African mercenary you would have included Eben Barlow and Executive Outcomes. As a side note: funny how most of these stories had a connection to South Africa in some way.
Never underestimate an old man in a young man's game.
Ummmm.... You forgot. It was NELSON MANDELA who was famous for necklacing. Perhaps some others copied him.
Jeez! Even in California we knew that!
mandela did nothing wrong
It was his wife Winnie Mandela that started it it was her groups favourite killing method to strike fear into the opposition .
Justin Shinlever
Yeah, just blowing up kids in a mall.
Ive seen people remark about how terribly unfactual your other videos are. Never thought much about it until I literally took 2 minutes to read the Wikipedia entry on Robert Mackenzie. “Shot in Bosnia”...what?? How do you get Sierra Leone confused with Bosnia, bruh? And the Gurkhas werent “training” to fight a war. They were in *Sierra Leone* to train Sierra Leonians. Maybe you shouldnt have an intern write your scripts
Sounds a little like someone didn't listen too carefully.
He has like 6 channels, relax. He and his team are obviously trying the best they can. Maybe stop being so critical over someone who does more in a week then you do in a year.
I'm sure mistakes have been made. But I still find his videos interesting. Also, you did one of the most important things you could ever do. You went and found out for yourself, and didn't just take everything at face value! Congratulations for thinking and operating on a much higher level than most. You've just beat level 3 of the simulation games!
@@dapper2407 So, it's okay to spread misinformation - and not correct it - because they're spreading themselves too thin? Here's a thought: Work just as hard in one week as 'the commenter you're dissing' does in a year, but use that time fact checking.
It's all about *quality* over quantity when producing documentaries.
@@dapper2407
Sorry you don't want someone correct you to fix problem? How do you live your life with fixing problems on your own when you think that correcting is criticism? Are you perfect, what about your desire that you never will repair it.
We're just glossing over the man thrown into the volcano then yeah?
When #7 started, I thought Simon Whistler was going to confess to us!
this man seems to have a particular bias against mercenaries in my opinion.
fred burnham was in africa when at night he got in a river to sneak down and by the enemy. Imagine the nerve it takes to get in the water in africa at night
There's something just perfect in "the current year" about hearing stories about these hardened men from this guy.
10 Amazing Stories Where Simon Profusely Apologizes For And Mansplains The Subject Matter.
'Dey waz racist' NPC says dey bad, now give me youtube sheckles.
Didnt exspect to see you here
When did being in your 50's or 60's make you elderly?
Rupert Harrison when “context” is recognized
@@josephparr9199 got'em
@@josephparr9199 being elderly is not a matter of context at all. Its purely a matter of age.
It's not the years, it is the miles. I am 50, but I damn sure have seen more than most men 20 years my senior.
Be wary of the old man in a profession where men die young.
I missed the birth of my son because I was off Adventuring in Somalia. Airborne!
Congratulations on the birth,condolences on missing the moment.
Wow! Congrats!!
I missed the conception of mine...
Your son better not be a dirty nasty leg, recruit.
It's like watching your favorite pub burn down
*happy new year toptenz!!!!!*
To anyone claiming otherwise:
Soldiers and mercenaries differ in the way that soldier takes their orders and wages from a national government.
Mercenaries choose their own missions due to demand and pay, sometimes devoid of morals.
Respect your soldiers, they're the ones that keep you safe whatever you might think.
The dull life of a chartered accountant
Curious question but what’s with the peculiar pattern with these mercs? Are there No famous colored mercenaries?
Literally cut out Simon Mann’s actions to resolve Angola and Seirra Leone... like none of Mann’s actual mercenary work
I denegrate a late 19th century man for “reportedly” having little “concern” for his family.... As if the technology then (idk- transportation, communication, and the work required for his chosen profession) lended to “contact”. FFS
The PMCs/Mercenaries that i see here in Africa is Chinese PMC companies and South African mercenaries
This guy's incompetence is mind blowing
Make zimbabwe Rhodesia again
Yep it's sad what happened to Rhodesia but I don't support racism
not in a thousand years
found the fash
My best friends dad works for Blackwater/Academi. He has some straight savage stories.
merc work isn't strange, it's pretty fun
professional soldiers or mercenary's were the norm for warfighting
Get your facts straight and try to at least hide your bias
Zimbaway? you mean Rhodesia!
Soldier of Fortune is by far my favorite nom de plum for mercs. I was obsessed with that magazine as a child, alas, I can’t shoot a gun for shite and could never take orders well.
If mercenaries are such a bad thing how come America relies so heavily on them to support their armed forces abroad, referring to them as PMC in a veiled effort to hide what they really are .
They're bad for more reasons than I can mention. You might want to consider talking to a mercenary to understand.
@@em1osmurf Yes, and an anti-patriot.
The military has to obide by rules of engagement and the Geneva conventions, to where private security companies don't.
Mercenaries Playground of destruction
@Davvy Jannes how many times did you copy the same reply?
nope, no bias here
This guy is such a lefty thumbs down
When you are so far right that everyone looks leftist, LoL.
Harm Gregory No he is right...The Left is so far gone it’s scary
@@apacifistmachinegunner669the right is so far gone it's scary. There, fixed it for you.....
@@harmgregory4560 nope.
The general contempt in which you are holding mercenaries is not warranted. What counts is what the individual has done.
Most mercenaries fought for causes they believed in. The thing was - during the Cold War - the Communists were trying to start revolutions to spread their bankrupt ideology all over the world. They'd send military and political advisors into poor countries and begin training units to push their revolutions. So - someone else hires mercenaries to train troops to resist these revolutions. Considering the state of most of the nations where these revolutions succeeded preserving the governments the rebels were trying to over throw may well have been the lesser of the evil choices that were extant.
A lot of these wars are inherently dirty wars. The rebels are fighting dirty. They pretend to be innocent civilians during the day and then come kill your men at night. How would you feel about having that done to people whose lives were YOUR responsibility?
You have fat, lazy, Western cultures where all the young people want is sex, drugs and rock & roll. They are not willing to go do something hard to try and save thousands if not millions from brutal oppressive regimes. So - you have wealthy people looking to preserve some aspect of their wealth - that hire mercenaries to fight the revolutionaries. They do it for their own reasons - but it gives the ordinary people of a nation an chance to resist monstrous ideologies.
Mercenaries are like prostitutes. You are not paying them for the job you are paying them to leave after.
I don’t mean to malign them saying this. How many times have we seen a desperate nation accept help from a parent nation only to discover they’re now completely controlled by said nation. Just because a soldier swears an oath doesn’t mean they’re any less greedy or brutal.
I'm South African, and even with my countries horrible history, I`m truly surprised how often my country has popped up on this list.
Most of them were fleeing criminal prosecution for crimes committed under Apartheid, and SA intelligence and special operations forces were already familiar with the African mercenary trade. Combine their venality with the residual cruelty of former colonial governments lingering among African governments and their security forces, and then throw in the anarchy of 1990s Africa (Zaire, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia) and it was exactly perfect combination of circumstances to establish notoriety
I'm very sorry about your country falling apart.
@@cm2973 atleast its not as bad as America at the moment
Why make a list of these guys if you’re going to just tear them down. Woke I suppose. Judge much?
They are serial killers,learn your subject
If you end a sentence with a question mark, it isn't a statement.
He said "I trained people in combat?"
It sounds more like he was confused.
Amazing brave men that keep the peace. Fantastic , loyal men who do the job properly. Odd how Eben Barlow was missed ....
I was wondering the same thing
As an avid, hardcore roadie, even I have to admit,
13:18
This is taking le Tour fandom a step too far.
It’s amazing what people were able to accomplish personally before the advent of entertainment media...
You’re out of line Simon, I am a South African private contractor. I like to think that I am liberal in my political views. You have stereotyped a group of people you know nothing about in a very ignorant manner because of small minority of people who were just arseholes . I’ve worked closely with soldiers from all different backgrounds and countries .
Fighting for money isn’t a strange occupation at all.
No Jason Blaha? wtf
Sorry Mr. Narrator. I have more respect for mercs than you.
You didnt mentioned that bod denar took weeks to bet a small force of Irish in the Congo and he took 2000 caustalties to 0 no Irish one
It's ironic that the moniker fighting Irish literally came from Irish mercenaries but the greatest battle fought by the Irish army was against mercenaries..
mark mclarnon I don’t think that was him, could be wrong though.
It’s not Bob Denard but Faulques,learn history Denard would capture the Irish in 1 hour
love the 2019 on the description
Roland Deschain the "Gunslinger" of Gilead that was, of the bloodline of Arthur Eld, of the White.
"Long day's and pleasant night's."
Simon I love you and your look and your voice and channel !!
Relics from a bygone age... How about the fact we're the only one's that gave Boko Haram a poesklap!
These clowns have no idea bra. 2015 seems like an age for these idiots.
Idiots are abound.
The whole Pakistani Army is mercenary, although their soldiers march under the banner of the United Nations as 'Peacekeeping' forces.
This guy is a bit soft.
Yeah he's a waste.
He is S#$thead...
*Imaginative beta SJW slanders folks he never knew...
Most real mercenaries arent out broadcasting it . just makes for easier work 😎🏁
A real mercenary would not mind hard work
Oh dear now i question the truth in all your other videos. Rather disappointed. Your ignorance has been revealed how sad Am subscribing.
Simon’s SJW is starting to show
how abaut the german Kongo Müller - the laughing man
Top Tenz seems to be down on the "guns for hire" trade. No where did he mention the benefits of using soldiers for hire. These dedicated professionals are involved in all matters of conflict in many different roles. He didn't mention the drop in the number of cargo ships being taken by Somali pirates since these shipping companies using contractors onboard their vessels to fight off pirates. Or the numerous security details these guys run all over the world. In theaters of war, they have and do bolster regular military in many support roles. As to why they do it? The money in most cases is excellent and why not capitalize on skills one has attained through years of training and conflict. Painting a picture of these guys as blood thirsty or war mongers is not accurate. Sure, there were some...most, however, that is not the case. A lot of these guys, once they returned to civilian life, got bored with the 9-5 lifestyle to the point of being depressed. Some company offers you 3-5 times what you could make in a year for a 6-9 month rotation and back into a lifestyle you enjoy....why wouldn't you?
False statement.
@@artwerksDallas ambiguous comment.
11:15 Look up Babies for Biafra. He flew Malmo in attacks that destroyed Migs on the ground before they could take off
Real men......!
What about Eeben Barlow, who founded Executive Outcomes?
No jean "black jack" scharame? What a shame.
Not one mention of Roland the headless thompson gunner? Warren Zevon is rolling in his grave..sad
Rudolph Steiner was certainly worthy of a mention, he really should have been listed number 2.
So interesting! I have to say I love this channel and Biographics, just love learning so much. How do you and your team keep coming up with ideas for videos?
Keep on Simon
Col.Mike Hoare....the Grandfather of modern mercs...
Being a mercenary is better than being a murderer
French Foreign Legion.
Considering that it's a pera-military force officially recognized by the French government as a branch of arms they are more correctly considered a volunteer army. Rather then a mercenary group
@@michaelm9975 they arent para military, those are units like swat, gign. Military capable groups that arent military. The ffl are elite troops that are volunteers from all over the world.
You forgot our boi Hemingway. The legendary "Blahino". For those of you who know who that is.😉
Beware a old man in a profession where men die young.
Weird.... I'm not on here?
Time to kit up!
Ripe old age of 59? 😂. Mr Camper, a different kettle of fish. Amazing as is per usual sir, thanks again for your show.👍
As opposed to these individuals, over my many decades of reading, admittedly a lot of it being novels, I've come across mention of the Irish Wild Geese, the Swiss Mercenaries ( pikemen come to mind), and more recently the Flying Tigers.
To add an individual, I believe Albrecht von Wallenstein could be could be considered a merc.
Your name should be .... Richard Cranium
3:07 video skipped. Sneaky editing I wonder what we missed 🤔