The times when ordinary people cautiously went to sea, long in the past. However, many legends, fairy tales, adventure stories and reliable facts about sea robbers remained. Corsairs stand apart in this variety of filibusters.
What are corsairs?
For the first time the concept of "corsair" arose in the Middle Ages in France. The French government was looking for ever new ways to replenish the treasury. As a result, free sailors were offered a kind of protection - they were allowed to attack the enemies of the king and rob them, giving part of the booty to the treasury. Sailors received good bonuses: they could freely enter state ports (pirates were prosecuted and executed), and in some cases, use the protection of garrisons. The crown only benefited from such cooperation - the treasury was replenished, and enemy coastal settlements and the fleet suffered serious damage. Thus, corsairs are free sailors who have permission to rob vessels belonging to the enemies of the crown.
How do corsairs differ from pirates?
The fact that many consider the words "pirate" and "corsair" synonymous is erroneous. The activities of corsairs, in modern terms, were licensed - the government not only did not interfere with them, but approved this kind of occupation. The pirates acted at their own peril and risk, not dividing the ships into allied and enemy, they could be arrested at any port and brought to justice, regardless of the country.
From the point of view of merchant ships, both corsairs and pirates were robbers who were worth fearing - for both, robbery and robbery were the main way to earn money. By the way, often pirates themselves attacked the corsairs - for them it was another opportunity to profit.
Corsairs in other countries
Other states appreciated the French solution with corsairs, so they tried to implement such schemes in their own regions as soon as possible. So there were German privateers, English privateers and many other licensed robbers.
Corsairs are sailors in the service of the state. They were not afraid of persecution of the authorities, moreover, if they were captured, they could count on the status of prisoners of war. However, in most cases, other countries considered captive corsairs to be pirates and executed them by hanging.
If you do not take into account which empire the sailors served, then pirates, privateers, corsairs and privates are absolutely equivalent concepts.
What flag did the corsairs fly?
If the pirates used the famous Jolly Roger flag, the privateers were forced to walk under state banners. True, before the attack, they, in accordance with the maritime code of the time, raised the black flag as an ultimatum, if the enemy refused to surrender voluntarily, the corsairs put up a red flag and boarded.
Corsair Legends
Without a doubt, the most famous corsair is a citizen of the British Empire, Francis Drake. He made history not only due to the fact that he successfully replenished the English treasury, robbing and drowning Spanish ships. Drake made a voyage around the world, went all the way along the western shores of North and South America, discovered the strait, later named after him, and also annexed new territories to Britain. According to various sources, as a result of a round-the-world trip, this corsair brought to the state treasury an amount exceeding the country's annual or biennial budget.
The famous captain nicknamed Blackbeard (Edward Teach) was a privateer in the service of the Queen of England until the war between England and France was stopped. At the end of the war, patents granted to privateers were canceled, and pirates were offered to surrender. Captain Blackbeard refused to give up, continuing to rob merchant ships already under the pirate flag.
Spanish corsair Amaro Pargo - at one time, his popularity as a national hero in Spain surpassed even the reputation of Francis Drake and Blackbeard. Shortly before his death, Pargo was declared a peer in Madrid.