Army: Warrior's Forge, Unveiling the Strategic Might

By Fouad Sabry

What is Army

An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by possessing an army aviation component. Within a national military force, the word army may also mean a field army.

How you will benefit

(I) Insights, and validations about the following topics:

Chapter 1: Army

Chapter 2: Conscription

Chapter 3: French Armed Forces

Chapter 4: Swiss Armed Forces

Chapter 5: Mercenary

Chapter 6: Hessian (soldier)

Chapter 7: Swiss mercenaries

Chapter 8: Mobilization

Chapter 9: French Army

Chapter 10: Roman army

(II) Answering the public top questions about army.

Who this book is for

Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of Army.

• Language: English
• Publisher: One Billion Knowledgeable
• Release date: Jun 19, 2024

Book preview

Chapter 1: Army

An army, often known as a ground force or land force, is a type of armed force that predominantly engages in combat on land. When taken in its broadest definition, it refers to the land-based military branch, service branch, or armed service of a nation or country. It is also possible for it to contain aircraft assets because it comes with an army aviation component. The term army can also refer to a field army when it is used in the context of a national armed force.

While in certain nations, France and China are two examples, it is the word army, particularly in the plural version of the word armies, provides a more comprehensive definition of the armed forces as a whole, during the time that the colloquial sense of land forces was maintained.

In order to contrast the informal concept of military power from the more formal concept of the army, There is a qualification to the phrase, for example in France the land force is called Armée de terre, meaning Army of the Land, and the air and space force is called Armée de l'Air et de l’Espace, an acronym for the Air and Space Army.

The navy's main fleet, even when the word army is not being used, as well as in the general sense of the term armies; hence, the French Navy is an essential component of the French Armies, which are collectively referred to as the French Armed Forces and are governed by the Ministry of the Armies.

Similarly, a pattern may be observed in China, with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) serving as the military for the entire country, the PLA being the land force in question The ground forces, to continue in this manner for the PLA Air Force, a Navy of the PLA, as well as other divisions.

Regular armies, which gradually developed from personal bodyguards or elite militia, are thought to be in contrast to irregular forces, which are understood because of convention. In this context, the term regular refers to standardized doctrines, uniforms, organizations, and other similar things. Full-time status (standing army) is another term that can be used to refer to regular military personnel, as opposed to reserve or part-time personnel. Statutory forces, which are constituted by legislation such as the National Defence Act, can be differentiated from de facto non-statutory forces, which include some revolutionary and guerrilla armies, by the use of additional distinctions. It is also possible for armies to be expeditionary, which means they are designed for deployment overseas or internationally, or fencible, which means they are created for domestic defense or are constrained to it.

According to the mission, role, and training of specific units, as well as sometimes individual troops within a unit, armies are always separated into distinct specialties so that they can fulfill their respective missions.

The following is a list of some of the basic groupings that are employed by all armies::

Infantry

Armoured corps

Artillery corps

Signal corps

Special forces

Commandos

Airborne forces

Military police

Medical corps

The armies of India were counted among the very first in the world. In the first combat that was ever documented, known as the combat of the Ten Kings, a Hindu Aryan monarch by the name of Sudas triumphed against a coalition consisting of ten kings and the chieftains that supported them. During the Iron Age, the Maurya and Nanda Empires boasted the greatest armies in the world. At its zenith, their armies consisted of around 600,000 infantry, 30,000 cavalry, 8,000 war-chariots, and 9,000 war elephants. This does not include the armies of tributary states. Longbowmen were recruited in huge numbers during the Gupta era in order to defend against horse archer armies that invaded the territory. The other highlighted troops included elephants, pikemen, and cavalry among others.

A round shield, either a curved blade or a straight sword, a chakra disk, and a katar dagger were the most important pieces of equipment during the Rajput era. Iron or chain-mail armor was also a common item of equipment.

For at least a thousand years prior to the publication of the Spring and Autumn Annals, the states of China assembled their armies.

Up until the time of the Warring States, As a result of the crossbow's level of perfection, it was classified as a military secret, using metal bolts that were capable of penetrating any armor.

Therefore, the armies and the organization of those armies were the foundation upon which any political power of a state was built.

China underwent political consolidation of the states of Han (韓), Wei (魏), Chu (楚), Yan (燕), Zhao (趙) and Qi (齊), before the year 221 BCE, Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇帝), in the history of the Qin dynasty, the first Emperor, obtained complete and total power.

This first emperor of China could command the creation of a Terracotta Army to guard his tomb in the city of Xi'an (西安), in addition to a reorganization of the Great Wall of China in order to fortify his realm against rebellion, invasion as well as incursion.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu is still considered to be one of China's Seven Military Classics, despite the fact that it was written two thousand years ago.

Among the oldest known examples of professional armies, the Spartan Army was one of the first. When boys were seven or eight years old, they were sent to a barracks to undergo training in preparation for becoming soldiers. Once they reached the age of thirty, they were granted permission to marry and start a family after being released from the barracks. From that point on, men committed their entire life to the military until they reached the age of sixty and retired. Hoplites made up a significant portion of the Spartan Army, and they were well-equipped with guns and armor that were practically similar to one another. Every single hoplite had a red uniform with a Spartan symbol on their uniforms. These three pieces of armor were the most important ones: a helmet, a spear, and a round shield.

The Roman Army had its beginnings in the citizen army of the Republic, which was comprised of those citizens who were required to serve Rome as part of their military obligations. The army was transformed into a professional organization through reforms, and the majority of its positions were still occupied by citizens. However, these citizens served continuously for a period of 25 years until being eventually dismissed.

The Romans were also known for their utilization of auxiliary forces, who consisted of non-Romans who fought alongside the legions and filled tasks that the regular Roman military was unable to properly fulfill. These roles included light skirmish troops and heavy cavalry. Following the completion of their military duty, they were granted citizenship in Rome, and their children were also granted citizenship after that. They also received money and land in order to establish themselves in Rome. Additionally, by the time of the Late Roman Empire, tribes such as the Visigoths were paid to serve as mercenaries. These auxiliary troops, along with foreign mercenaries, constituted the core of the Roman Army while the Roman Empire was in its last stages.

It was the responsibility of every aristocrat in the early Middle Ages to respond to the summons to fight with his own equipment, archers, and infantry. This requirement prevailed throughout the Middle Ages. The social order of the time necessitated the implementation of this decentralized structure; but, it had the potential to result in a disorganized force with varying levels of training, equipment, and capabilities. As the noble got access to a greater quantity of resources, the quality of his men would improve.

At the beginning, the terms knight and noble were frequently used interchangeably because there was not a significant difference between the two initially. Despite the fact that the nobility did engage in combat on horseback, they were also assisted by citizens of lesser social classes, as well as mercenaries and criminals. These individuals were only engaged in battle for the sole purpose of engaging in it. The majority of the time, they had temporary employment during their lord's participation. Knights began to evolve into their own class as the Middle Ages proceeded and feudalism matured into a real social and economic structure. However, there was a slight caveat to this development: knights were still in debt to their master. The newly constituted vassal class was no longer primarily motivated by economic necessity; rather, they were motivated by chivalry and fidelity to their masters.

As the power of central governments increased, there was also a return to the citizen armies that existed during the classical period. This occurred as central levies of the peasantry became the primary method of recruitment within the governments. Due to the fact that England was one of the most centralized states during the Middle Ages, the majority of the armies who participated in the Hundred Years' War were made up of hired professionals.

Each and every Englishman was required to serve for a period of forty days, according to the theory. The forty-day period was insufficient for a campaign, particularly one that was conducted on the continent.

The majority of Englishmen paid to escape their service, and the money that was collected was utilized to establish a permanent army. This was the result of the introduction of the scutage. There was a significant mercenary market in Europe beginning at least in the early 12th century. On the other hand, practically all high medieval armies in Europe were made up of a significant number of core troops that were paid for their services.

The militias that had dominated the early and high medieval period in this region began to be replaced by mercenaries as the Middle Ages proceeded in Italy. This shift occurred as Italian cities came to rely more and more on mercenaries to carry out their military operations. These units would consist of career troops who would be paid at a predetermined rate as a group. There was a tendency for mercenaries to be effective soldiers, particularly when combined with standing forces; nevertheless, in Italy, they came to dominate the armies of the city states. This rendered them significantly less trustworthy than an army that was already in place. Additionally, mercenary-on-mercenary warfare in Italy resulted in campaigns that were largely bloodless and relied on maneuvering as much as they did on actual armed conflict.

During the year 1439, the French Government, known as the Estates General (French: états généraux), legislation was enacted that limited military recruiting and training to the king alone.

Funding for a new Royal army was going to be provided by a new tax that was going to be raised, and it was going to be called the taille.

It was recommended to the mercenary companies that they either join the Royal army as compagnies d'ordonnance on a permanent basis or join the army as mercenary companies, in the event that they refused, they would be hunted down and destroyed.

France was able to amass a total standing army of approximately 6,000 soldiers, for the purpose of gradually eliminating the remaining mercenaries who insisted on working independently, which was dispatched to the area.

When compared to its predecessors, the new standing army was characterized by a more professional and disciplined approach to battle.

The improvements that took place in the 1440s, ultimately resulted in the French achieving victory at Castillon in the year 1453, in addition to the conclusion of the Hundred Years' War.

By the year 1450, the companies had been separated into the field army, comprised of the garrison force known as the petite ordonnance and the military force known as the grande ordonnance.

During times of conflict, the first nation states typically employed mercenaries to serve in their armies since they lacked the financial resources necessary to keep their standing troops in operation. In most cases, the formation of such mercenaries occurs at the conclusion of periods of combat, when the respective governments determine that they no longer require the services of men-at-arms.

As a result, the experienced soldiers looked for alternative career opportunities, and they frequently engaged in mercenary work. Free companies would frequently specialize in forms of fighting that required longer periods of training, which was not available in the form of a mobilized militia. This was because that type of training was not available.

The majority of soldiers were hired as mercenaries as late as the 1650s. On the other hand, after the 17th century, the majority of governments made investments in permanent forces that were better disciplined and more politically reliable. There was a period of time when mercenaries played an essential role as administrators and trainers; nevertheless, the state quickly took over these responsibilities as well. Due to the extensive size of these armies, a substantial number of administrators were required to provide support.

In order to administer these armies, the newly centralized kingdoms were compelled to establish enormous bureaucracies that were structured across the board. Some historians claim that this is the foundation of the current bureaucratic power structure. A number of uprisings occurred all over Europe as a result of the combination of higher taxes and a greater concentration of government functions. These uprisings included the Fronde in France and the English Civil War.

The establishment of absolute monarchies was the means by which this issue was resolved in a number of countries. It was only in England and the Netherlands that the concept of representative government emerged as an alternative model. Long-term loans with low interest rates from national banking institutions were the means by which states learned how to finance wars beginning in the latter half of the 17th century. Initially, the Dutch Republic was the first state to achieve mastery of this procedure. The shift that had place in the military of Europe had a significant impact