Ancient Greek armor from Magna Graecia exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art A bronze helmet cuirass body armor and two bronze shin guards can be seen on display along side horse armor Universal Images Group Getty Images A
INTRODUCTION rmies large organized forces armed and trained for war espe cially on land have existed in one form or another for millennia Armies have been made up of professionals or amateurs of mercenaries fighting for pay or for plunder or of patriots fighting for a cause Today most countries have a standing army that is often the largest and oldest branch of the military The following pages chronicle the develop ment of armies around the world examining how they have become the formidable forces they are today At various times armies have been built around infantry soldiers or mounted warriors or men in machines More than 5 000 years ago in the wars between civilizations of the Middle East foot soldiers were the main com batants This changed during the Middle Ages when soldiers were mainly mounted warriors Nearly all the great armies of the period were dominated by cavalry including the Christian knights of Europe the armies of Islam and the hordes of Mongol warriors from East Asia The resurgence of the toot soldier came with the introduction of gunpowder into war fare one of the most decisive changes towarfare and to the organization of armies The differ ence gunpowder made may be best summed up
THE HISTORY OF ARMIES AROUND THE WORLD in the word distance Prior to the appearance of gunpowder land battles were mostly hand to hand combat Whether soldiers were on foot on horseback or in chariots the weapons were much the same and battles were fought as close encounters Gunpowder made it possible to kill an enemy hundreds of feet away Bombs a natural outgrowth of gunpow der and nuclear weapons also revolutionized warfare changing the nature of many army operations While foot soldiers are still the main combatants in most wars modern infantrymen are supported by aircraft artillery tanks and all the complexities of modern communication systems Modern warfare with its land air and sea components has greatly enlarged the field of operations beyond a single battlefield as evident in the wars of the 21st century As militaries have become more inclusive of women and gays in service armies have become increasingly diverse in composition New weapons and technologies have revolutionized battle tactics and the nature of war Yet even as military policies technologies weapons and strategies continue to evolve armies remain an enduring and crucial part of armed forces around the world IO
WHAT IS AN ARMY n army is an organized land based military fighting unit From the ancient world to modern times the organization and composition of armies have varied considerably W COMPOSITION OF ARMIES The earliest armies consisted of warriors in horse drawn chariots infantry armed foot soldiers and cavalry armed soldiers on horseback These units were sometimes accompanied by engineers who operated siege weapons and by supply trains to feed and outfit the fighters With the introduction of cannons in the 15th century artillery units were added to the combat sections of armies In the 19th and 20th centuries as a result of great advances in technology other units were added signal troops engineer corps for OTI
