Turning War into Business: Private Security Companies and Commercial Opportunism

There is nothing new about the role of contractors in warfare. In the case of England, for example, the English Ordnance Department is older than the Army of which it became part in the late nineteenth century. The post of Master of Ordnance (later known as Master General) dates back to the fifteenth century, the first officially recorded holder of the appointment being Nicholas Merbury in the year 1414. ¹ Napoleon was also forced to rely on contractors for his supplies, though he detested them for profiting from war, referring to them as ‘rogues … [who] roll in … insolent luxury, while my soldiers have neither bread nor shoes’. ² Contractors also played a part in the American Civil War. Indeed, America has a history of turning to the market for military support services. For instance, KBR (formerly Kellogg Brown & Root) continue to supply logistical support for the US and UK militaries on overseas operations. ³ In this respect, little has changed over the centuries, with contractors still playing an important, if somewhat controversial, role in warfare. As Herbst has written, ‘the private provision of violence was a routine aspect of international relations before the twentieth century’. ⁴