ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 outlines the issues associated with the classification of private military actors, situating them in the broader historical context of private security and different forms of governance. Outlining the distinctions between mercenaries, civilians, private contractors, and PMCs as corporations, this chapter interprets the nuance of private force in the context of accepted definitions. Furthermore, it conceptualises private military companies (PMCs) as a modern manifestation of a private military phenomenon that pre-dates nation-states and standing armies. This chapter also introduces the questions of regulation and responsibility with regard to private force. Given the international scope of PMC activity, the corporate status of PMCs, and the close proximity to hostilities of armed civilian personnel, accountability for PMC conduct could give rise to individual, state, and corporate responsibility. Explaining the different approaches to regulation, it considers who should be regulated and to what end.
