Read a napoleonic first hand account of a Hessian serving under the french flag
Athenians: For ourselves, we shall not trouble you with specious pretenses - either of how we have a right to our empire because we overthrew the Mede, or are now attacking you because of wrong that you have done us- and make a long speech which would not be believed;.......... since you know as well as we do that right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.
Part of the Melian Dialogue in The History of the Pelopenessian War by Thucydides.