A nation's ability to survive is often dependent upon its military strength.

A nation's ability to survive is often dependent upon its military strength.

10:30-11

A nation’s military is a very crucial part to a nation’s stability and completing the objectives or goals associated with the national agenda. The primary purpose of the military is to protect the nation from external threats and invasion as well as maintaining internal stability. In addition, they may launch offensive attacks on suspected enemies as a precautionary measure to prevent future attacks, such as preventing the suspected accumulation of weapons of mass destruction and helping to depose authoritarian leaders of other nations (to site recent examples). In most cases military strength correlates with a country's relative power in the world. However, possession of military strength is not always necessary for a nation's survival.

Firstly consider a situation in which a nation’s ability to survive is dependent on military strength. The British Empire was once a large empire that covered a quarter of the world’s population by dominating the local populations. One of the most notable British occupations were in India. India was under colonial rule for over two centuries under the East India Company Raj which was controlled by Queen Victoria, the last Empress of India, primarily due to the sophisticated weapons that were only present in the New World. The British East India Company had issued a monopoly over India’s resources such as food, textiles, spices and other luxury goods. Since most of India’s neighbors and allies were not fond of the British and often rebelled against the British occupation. Hence, for the British Empire to continue with their occupation in India, the Royal British Army was serviced in cantonments in multiple cities and regions. The military was the only way the British could impose tariffs on the Indians without rebellion. Thus the British Empire was very successful for two centuries in a rebellious environment primarily due to an organized military.

In contrast there are times where, a nation’s ability to survive does not require military strength. A nation with powerful allies does not require internal military strength. For example, the formation of the European Union recently, has reduced the strain of national security in many European nations because of unity and allies. In times, of war, nations such as Switzerland, can  count on defense assistance from its more military-capable leaders, such as England and France. Thus, nations that receive substantial aid from world powers can also survive without possessing its own powerful military. Israel, for example, has a relatively strong military but not nearly as strong as that of the United States. With substantial funding from the US, Israel can maintain this strength and defend itself from certain threats posed by its Arabic neighbors.

In all, a nation’s ability to survive with military strength is circumstantial. A powerful military is a good indicator of national stability in certain cases. When a nation is trying to control another nation for resources then it is necessary to have military strength as in the case of British imperial rule in India. However when a nation such as Israel has allies it is not necessary to have a national army, rather external assistance from the US will help them face threats from Arab neighbors.