State Power by Other Means: The Use of Mercenaries by the US and Russia

Mercenaries have been used since before modern state was established. In the era before the state established the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force, mercenaries were used to settle disputes by kings, lords, city states, and even the church. In the twentieth century, this evolved into mercenaries being used by states as a way for leaders to maintain power when their state lost the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force. Yet, in the twenty-first Century, states that have the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force, such as the United States and Russian Federation, use or used mercenaries. In this presentation, I will discuss how the use of mercenaries is another way in which both the US and Russia expand state power. Furthermore, in their use of private forces, the US and especially Russia foreshadow how war could be fought in the future. Mercenaries have a role to play in the future of warfare as states seek to accomplish their objectives without the consequences of state actions. In this form of “irregular warfare”, the line between state and private force is blurred as the state seeks to accomplish its objectives.