Standing Army

• A Standing or Regular Army is a permanent army made up of full-time soldiers paid by the government of an empire or nation during peacetime. Most modern Nation States have a Standing Army.
• The earliest known Standing Army was kept by Sargon of Akkad (c.2,234-2,279 BCE). The Roman Empire maintained a Standing Army between 27 BCE-476 CE, and the Byzantine Empire until 1453 CE.

History

• Before the Romans, Standing Armies were maintained by the:
  • Akkadian Empire under Sargon of Akkad (c.2,234-2,279) BCE.
  • Sparta (Ancient Greece) between c.650-146 BCE.
  • Qin Dynasty in China from 221 BCE onwards.
• The Roman Standing Army:
  • Roman Empire between 27 BCE-476 CE.
  • Byzantine Empire between c.284-1453 CE.
• Marcomannic Wars (166-180 CE)
  • The Marcomanni maintained a standing army of 7,000 men and 4,000 cavalry.
• Medieval Period (500-1500 CE)
  • This Period saw no Standing Armies in Western Europe.
• First modern Standing Armies
  • Ottoman Empire: The Janissaries were formed between 1362-1389 CE.
  • France: Charles VII formed a Standing Army in the 1430’s near the end of the Hundred Years War (1337-1453 CE).
  • Hungary: The Black Army (1462).
  • Spain: Spanish Army Tercios (1534 CE)
  • England: New Model Army under Cromwell during the English Civil War (1645-1660 CE).