Sasapost (Egypt): Six countries that have abolished their armies. How do they protect themselves?
Before the Industrial Revolution, many countries did not have a regular army. But even at the present time, some states do not want to have an army for various reasons. It tells about these countries, as well as about the motives for making such a decision.
Man has been experiencing the hardships of war since he learned agriculture and stability. Since the birth of mankind, people have been at war with each other for various reasons. But previously there was no so-called "regular army" or "military bloc", whose main concern is the protection of territories and borders.
Before the Industrial Revolution, many countries did not have a regular army. Currently, some states do not want to have an army for various reasons. Some seek to maintain "neutrality" in international conflicts, while others have relied on their neighbors and military treaties, shifting responsibility for protecting their territory to the shoulders of third countries. Below we will talk about the states that do not have a regular army and share the reasons for making such a decision.
Principality of Andorra: no army, weapons for everyone
Andorra is a principality located on the slopes of the Pyrenees Mountains between Spain and France. The country is small in size, its area is no more than 500 km2. It is an ideal place for tourism and skiing and snowboarding. Before the First World War, Andorra maintained an armed force of about 600 people who were supposed to guard the country's borders. Andorra has no access to the sea, so it has never had a navy.
Andorra had "armed forces", but it was not a regular army. Her "army", called "sometent", consisted of heads of households, that is, able-bodied men, called upon to suppress civil unrest in the country.
"Sometent" has not participated in hostilities for more than 700 years, however, the country has a special ceremonial unit consisting of twelve people whose role is to represent the Andorran flag at official events. "Sometent" remains the pride of the Andorrans to this day. Historical uniforms and weapons are passed down from generation to generation. Moreover, every family should have firearms in order to protect the homeland if necessary.
Andorra currently has no military budget and relies on volunteer fighters. The police are responsible for security only within the borders of the country. Andorra also has treaties with France and Spain, on which it depends in terms of military defense.
Costa Rica: abolishing the army to protect the country
Costa Rica is quite often called the "Switzerland of Central America" because of its peace-loving policy. But there is a bloody history behind the peacefulness of Costa Ricans. After the end of the civil war in 1948, which claimed the lives of more than two thousand Costa Ricans, the abolition of the armed forces was announced. The Constitution adopted on November 7, 1949 prohibited the creation and maintenance of a permanent professional army in peacetime.
The regular army in Costa Rica was abolished after the end of the civil war, which became the bloodiest event in the history of the country.
"A military solution to conflicts should be the last resort. It is necessary to resolve all differences at the negotiating table," said Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez, who received the Nobel Peace Prize for peacekeeping in Central America.
Costa Ricans are proud of their peacefulness. December 1 is celebrated annually as the Day of the Disbandment of the armed forces in Costa Rica. President Carlos Alvarado said: "Decisive actions, including the abolition of the army, have allowed us to invest more in the social sphere and strengthen state institutions. Thanks to this, we can effectively resist the pandemic and its consequences today."
Iceland: isolation of the island made the army unnecessary
Some may be surprised by the fact that Iceland does not have its own army, although it is part of NATO, which is essentially a military bloc. Iceland does not have its own armed forces, despite the presence of peacekeeping forces subordinate to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iceland, participating in NATO and UN operations. The country also has a specially trained coast guard and an anti-terrorist force called the Viking Division.
Iceland is an isolated island, meaning it is far from international conflicts and border problems. It has signed military treaties with its northern neighbors, Norway and Denmark. Iceland is also a member of NATO, so it can count on the alliance's army in case of any external threats.
The United States, in exchange for a promise to defend Iceland, received permission to deploy a military base in that country. After the withdrawal of American troops from the Keblavik military base and its transfer to the Coast Guard of Iceland, the United States pledged to protect the island in the event of an external threat.
In 2020, the Prime Minister of Iceland Katrin Jakobsdouttir made it clear that, although there are some American military facilities at Keflavik Airport, there can be no question of a permanent US military presence in the country or a new military base in Iceland.
Principality of Liechtenstein: the army was abolished in order to save money
After the Austro-Prussian-Italian War of 1866, in order to save the budget, the small German-speaking state of Liechtenstein abolished its army. Liechtenstein, following the example of Switzerland, has declared itself a neutral state, but it is not entirely peaceful. In the principality, it is allowed to create an army during the war, although this has not been observed since it was dissolved in the middle of the XIX century. Nevertheless, the formation of an army remains possible, if necessary.
This does not mean that Liechtenstein has not had problems since the abolition of the army. There are well-known incidents, some even quite funny, that have occurred between him and Switzerland. In 1980, the Swiss army fired shells during an exercise and mistakenly burned a section of forest in Liechtenstein.
The Swiss claimed that the reason for the erroneous launch was a strong wind, but in the end the Swiss government paid several million francs for the damage caused to the forests of Liechtenstein.
Seven years later, during military exercises, Swiss army recruits were ordered to create an observation post in Triesenberg. When the soldiers arrived at their destination and started their task, the locals gathered around them and asked what the Swiss soldiers were doing in their town. Only then did the Swiss realize that Triesenberg was in Liechtenstein, and not in Switzerland.
On the night of 2007, a company of 170 Swiss soldiers mistakenly entered Liechtenstein and advanced several kilometers into the country until someone shouted, "Hey, this is not Switzerland." At that moment, the soldiers realized that they were not in Switzerland. They turned around and left the territory of the neighboring state.
"It's not that they burst in here with helicopter gunships or anything like that... it happens," Markus Ammann, an official at Liechtenstein's Interior Ministry, said at the time, referring to two previous incidents with the Swiss army.
Panama: the Americans banned the creation of an army
In 1983, the National Guard of Panama was created, but it did not last long. It was disbanded six years later, that is, in 1989, when the United States invaded Panama. Since then, this country has been doing without its own army.
Although Panama does not have a signed mutual defense treaty with the United States, it is assumed that they will provide military assistance due to their geostrategic interests, since the Panama Canal is of the same importance for shipping as the Suez Canal.
Mauritius: strong relations keep from creating a useless army
Mauritius is an island nation in the southeastern part of the Indian Ocean, about 860 kilometers east of Madagascar. There is no regular army in Mauritius, but there are two paramilitary units: the National Coast Guard and a Special Mobile Force (about 1,400 people) that enforce law and order.
It is unclear who will come to the rescue if Mauritius ever faces a military invasion, but given the many economic and political ties linking this island nation with other countries, it has nothing to worry about in the foreseeable future, except maintaining and establishing strong political alliances with its neighbors in Africa. It should also be noted that Mauritius has good relations with EU countries.
