ABSTRACT
This chapter shows how European rulers encouraged, then delegitimised and eliminated mercenarism in international relations. Neomedievalism is short-hand that describes a non-state centric world order, one where private military force is a central feature. In the twentieth century the Westphalian order was at its zenith and the free market for force was pushed underground. The privilege of legitimately waging war was arrogated exclusively to states and their militaries, and was the view commonly espoused by international relations theory, which emerged during this period. The development of states and the subsequent state system that makes up the Westphalian' order was a gradual and complex process, with a thick collection of scholarly literature. Nisour Square connotes villainy, war crimes and mercenarism. Iraqis cursed the private security company (PSC), and a firestorm of anti-US sentiment swept through the region, undermining the United States' counter-insurgency strategy of winning hearts and minds'.
