Why 10,000 Rebels Died to 300 Mercenaries (Congo 1964)

In 1964, 300 mercenaries landed in the Congo and changed warfare forever. Led by "Mad Mike" Hoare, 5 Commando killed between 5,000-10,000 rebels in 18 months, rescued 1,600 hostages in the legendary Operation Dragon Rouge, and defeated Che Guevara's Cuban-backed forces—all while being paid $1,100 per month (equivalent to $11,000 today).

They became international celebrities. Hoare's memoir "Congo Mercenary" became a bestseller. The 1978 film "The Wild Geese" starring Richard Burton immortalized them as heroes. Soldier of Fortune magazine glorified their lifestyle. For decades, they represented the romantic ideal of the modern mercenary: tough, professional, anti-communist crusaders living life on their own terms.

But the truth was far darker.

Witnesses documented heads mounted on jeeps. Hoare's second-in-command, former Wehrmacht officer Siegfried "Congo" Müller, decorated vehicles with skulls and reportedly read Mein Kampf after battles.

This is the story of the most successful mercenary force in modern history—and the war crimes that Hollywood turned into heroism. From the chaos of post-colonial Congo to the streets of Stanleyville during the dramatic hostage rescue, this documentary reveals how 300 men created the entire "soldier of fortune" culture while perpetrating systematic atrocities that went unchallenged for decades.

The ultimate paradox: they succeeded because their enemies believed bullets would turn to water—yet became action movie icons despite documented indiscriminate violence and trophy-taking. Mike Hoare lived to 100 years old, dying in 2020, long enough to see his heroic reputation crumble under the weight of historical evidence.

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