I almost feel like this should go on /r/conspiracy so won't be surprised if this gets down voted to hell (edit: ah no down votes subreddit), but human history being so riddled with warfare and shady dealings and I would like to know if there has ever been credible evidence that mercenary companies and the arms industry has ever set off a conflict, or possibly even industries I am not considering. This would seem really conspiracy like if I hadn't read about others things like big root beer pushing prohibition and other such strange ways business operate.
There are plenty of parties who benefit from warfare, so to me it would seem unsurprising to find some of them are actively involved in creating conflict. I figured that I would ask here in hopes to see if there is any legitimate reason to believe this, or if its just theory that shouldn't be thought of as much more.
Both the Dutch and the British East India Companies got involved directly (with their own armies and navies) and indirectly, through alliances and diplomacy, in conflicts with or between 'countries' in their respective spheres of influence.
(Whether the concept of 'country' was totally applicable in the spheres of influence of the Dutch and British East India Companies at the time is questionable, but they certainly got involved in conflicts with or between sovereign states.)