militia
Sign in to savethumb|Muster (military)|Mustering in the "Hempstead Rifles," Arkansas Volunteers, at [[Arkadelphia, Arkansas, in 1861.]]
AI overview
A militia is a military force composed of civilians who are organized and trained to defend their community or nation, typically called upon during emergencies or wars. It matters because it has historically served as a way for countries to expand their fighting capacity beyond professional standing armies, particularly important during conflicts like the American Civil War when volunteer militia units were mustered into service.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
74 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- History
- France
- Germany
- Great Britain and Ireland
- Origins
- 16th and 17th centuries
- Militia in the English Empire and the British Empire
- Political issues
- 18th century and the Acts of Union
- British Militia
- Irish militia
- Scottish militia
- 19th century
- The Special Reserve
- The militiamen
- Modern survivals
- Other British militias
- The Troubles and Irish War of Independence
- United States
- 19th century
- 20th century
- 21st century
- Active militias
- Texas
- Modern paramilitary forces
- Bahrain
- Brazil
- Mexico
- By country
- Afghanistan
- Andorra
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Canada
- China
- Cuba
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Ethiopia
- Finland
- India
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Latvia
- Libya
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- North Korea
- Norway
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Portugal
- Russia and the Soviet Union
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
- Turkey
- Vietnam
- SFR Yugoslavia
- See also
- References
- Citations
- Sources
- Further reading
thumb|Muster (military)|Mustering in the "Hempstead Rifles," Arkansas Volunteers, at [[Arkadelphia, Arkansas, in 1861.]]
A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or serve as a pool of available manpower for regular forces to draw from.