As said by famous French statesman George Clemenceau, "War is much too serious a matter to be entrusted to the military," and even today, his statement still stands true.
While most countries have large military forces that are able to deploy and protect at any given time (the largest and most notable being China, at about 1,600,000 army personnel), some countries have no military at all.
Below is a list of five countries that have no set military forces, each of them with varying reasons why; some because of the country`s history and other because of its location.
While many people believe that a military force is a necessity, there are countries that see or have no need for them; however, in many cases, there is a back-up plan in the case that the country is attacked or war is declared upon that country.
1. Vatican City
Named the smallest country in the world, Vatican City, unsurprisingly, is a country that does not have a de jure military; however, this hasn’t always been the case.
In the past, there were numerous militaristic groups that were created to protect the country and most importantly the Pope. Notably the Noble Guard and the Palatine Guard did exist, but Pope Paul VI abolished both groups in 1970.
Today, Vatican City`s best example of a militaristic force would be the Pontifical Swiss Guard. This group is meant to protect the Pope as well as the Palace of the Vatican.
There is also the Gendarmerie Corps, but this group is considered to be a civilian force rather than military. They are responsible for keeping public order, traffic control, border control, and investigating criminal activity.
So who`s the protector?
Well, since Vatican City is located in Rome, Italy is fully responsible for protecting the tiny country within its own country`s capital.
Italy has an organised armed force of about 186,798 men and women with 109,703 personnel in the Army and 43,882 in the Navy. The country also has an Air Force that can provide protection as needed.
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