Motivations: mercenaries to idealists

Episode 145 examines the role of foreign fighters in war. 

Our guests begin by highlighting the long history of foreign fighters in conflict, from the early United States and the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s to contemporary cases such as the International Legion in Ukraine and the role of foreign fighters in ISIS. The conversation then turns to why individuals risk their lives for others in far away lands, with motivations ranging from financial incentives and ideological commitments to deeply personal reasons. Finally, the discussion concludes by examining the impact foreign fighters have on the battlefield – with the results often being mixed. 

Dr. David Malet is an Associate Professor at American University whose research focuses on foreign fighter recruitment, insurgency, and transnational conflict dynamics. He is the author of the book Foreign Fighters: Transnational Identity in Civil Conflicts, a comprehensive study of why and how individuals join wars far from home. 

Colin Freeman is a British journalist and former chief foreign correspondent for The Sunday Telegraph. He has reported extensively from conflict zones around the world, including recently in Ukraine. His book The Mad and the Brave: The Untold Story of Ukraine’s Foreign Legion tells the stories of foreign volunteers who joined Ukraine’s defense during the Russo-Ukrainian War. 

Kyle Atwell is the host for episode 145. Please reach out to him with any questions about the episode or IWI. 

The Irregular Warfare Podcast is a production of the Irregular Warfare Initiative (IWI). We are a team of volunteers dedicated to bridging the gap between scholars and practitioners to support the community of irregular warfare professionals. IWI generates written and audio content, coordinates events for the IW community, and hosts critical thinkers in the field of irregular warfare as IWI fellows. You can follow and engage with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn.

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All views expressed in this episode are the personal views of the participants and do not represent those of any government agency or of the Empirical Studies of Conflict Project. 

Intro music: “Unsilenced” by Ketsa

Outro music: “Launch” by Ketsa

Illustrative image generated by AI. It does not depict a real individual.