Furthermore I would say that for somebody to be a quisling he has to have a hope and expectation of reward from the enemy. Therefore neither John Brown nor John Wilkes Booth are quislings--since they did not do their deeds for hope of reward. Nor did von Stauffenberg.

However, Wilfried, to return to our earlier discussion--that's the first time I've ever heard that Hessian soldiers got "double pay". What's the source? Also, can you make a guestimate of how much their double pay would be in current euros?

It's true "Hessians" have had an extremely bad press. It does appear that some were hanged for looting--but obviously there are bad apples. It's great to hear another side.

But I think we are hairsplitting on whether the "Hessians"---- (which, as I said, in America was sloppily used to designate all the German soldiers fighting on behalf of the British--what can you expect from a country which talks of Pennsylvania Dutch, not Deutsch?)---were mercenaries.

Why do you think they were not mercenaries?. The dictionary definition I have found defines mercenary as "one who serves merely for wages". This would seem to fit.

You say the British paid for the Hessian soldiers both in peace and wartime. Did Hesse ever request British military support for an operation? "Bound by treaty"--what was the nature of this treaty? What were the British to provide, aside from money?

It sounds as if the British were trying to arrange for a group of hired soldiers to be available for any operation they (the British) might desire. It's certainly clear the British had close ties to Hanover, but it's not so clear that they had them with Hesse or Brunswick.