Hessians ( or ) were German soldiers who served as auxiliaries to the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. Britain had a small army, most of which were needed at home. It decided to rent regiments. Most governments refused, but several small German states such as Hesse had a reputation as "mercenary states" and rented regiments to the British for combat duty. The Revolutionaries often called the hired German soldiers "Hessians" and denounced them all as "mercenaries" who were not fighting for their native land.