Small army. The smallest army in the world. Turkish Armed Forces

The dwarf republic of San Marino is located in the south of Europe, on the slopes of Mount Titano (738 m) and is surrounded on all sides by the territory of Italy (the regions of Marche and Emilia-Romagna). Area of ​​San Marino - 60.57 sq. km, which is divided into so-called “castles” or districts: San Marino, Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Montegiardino and Serravalle. The capital of the Republic, the city of San Marino, is located almost at the top of Mount Titano. 4.5 thousand residents live here. The Adriatic Sea and the city of Rimini are 22 km away. The population is Sanmarinians - about 30 thousand people. 95% are Catholics, 19% are Italians. Every year more than 3 million tourists from all over the world come to San Marino to see with their own eyes medieval monuments (both real and imitations), the government palace and the Walloni palace, the churches of San Francesco and San Quirino, and to see the ruins of the castles of Guaita and Cesta and Montale, admire the distant sea from observation platforms, and finally, send home a postcard with a local postage stamp.

According to the legend of the formation of San Marino, a Dalmatian stone carver named Marino, originally from the island of Rab in modern-day Croatia, settled here with a group of Christian supporters to escape persecution by Emperor Diocletian.

Despite repeated attempts to conquer San Marino (by neighboring cities and the papal state), thanks to the proud spirit of its people, the inaccessibility of the territory surrounded by a triple belt of fortress walls, and the brilliant leadership of the state of San Marino maintained its independence for many centuries. In questions foreign policy The Republic of San Marino also adheres to neutrality and makes its own decisions in matters of political asylum on its territory. It has its own army, which is a military unit with special functions. In 1740, a national guard armed with swords was created to protect members of parliament, and the gendarmerie was created to maintain public order. San Marino has its own national flag, but not its own money. Since 1953, an agreement has been concluded with Italy, according to which the latter pays monetary compensation to San Marino for the lack of its currency and restrictions on construction (casinos, radio stations), which, however, was canceled in 1987. But the San Marino postage stamp is known and valued by philatelists.

The state of San Marino has not joined the European Union, but mints a European coin with the image of its main attractions on one of its sides. Only a few people know about the even tinier but charming town of San Leo, located next door to San Marino. The medieval politician and philosopher Machiavelli called the castle of San Leo, which has survived to this day, the most beautiful military redoubt in Italy. And for Dante, the castle, whose steep bastions rise above the town's graceful cobbled square, served as inspiration for writing parts of Purgatory.

Area - 61 km.
Population - 25 thousand people
Official language - Italian

In 64, when Rome was destroyed by a huge fire, Emperor Nero blamed Christians for it. Since then, for many years they were subjected to persecution and painful executions. Tradition says that in 301, a member of one of the first Christian communities, stonecutter Marino, and his friends found refuge in the Apennines, on the top of Monte Titano. Soon the community declared independence. This is how the oldest European state arose on Italian soil. Later Catholic Church canonized Christian Marino. This is where the name of the state of San Marino (literally “Saint Marino”) comes from, which has existed since 301.

Almost all of the indigenous inhabitants of this tiny country are relatives by marriage, blood relatives, or, finally, just good neighbors and acquaintances. In other words, the population of the state consists of several expanded large patriarchal families. Traditionally, heads of families meet twice a year to discuss family problems. Sanmarinians consider such meetings to be perhaps more authoritative than meetings of the Sanmarinian parliament - the Grand General Council.

The heads of state in San Marino are two captain regents. For a long time, a tradition has been established that every Sanmarinian, even addressing one of the co-rulers, had to use the plural. According to linguists, it was from San Marino that the custom of using the pronoun spread throughout Europe plural"you" for polite address.

Naturally, with such nepotism it is very difficult to be impartial in legal proceedings. Therefore, according to the law and in the name of justice, only foreigners can work here as police officers and judges. The population of this tiny country is employed in small engineering and chemical industries, in agriculture and serving tourists, and there are up to 3 million of them a year!

During the First World War, the Republic of San Marino became an ally of the Entente; 15 soldiers stood up under arms. During World War II, the republic declared neutrality, but this did not save it from a two-week German occupation. Today, 51 soldiers and 34 officers serve in the San Marino army. A military parade is held four times a year. Soldiers dressed in bright uniforms and armed with 19th-century carbines march through the narrow streets of the capital, San Marino, to music.

The Republic of San Marino is surrounded on all sides by Italian territory. In order to visit Rome, Venice or visit the beaches of the Adriatic Sea on a day off, all you need to do is buy a train ticket. The railway tunnel runs under Monte Titano. However, relations with Italy were not always cloudless, and the borders were not “transparent”. In 1951, the government of San Marino decided to open a casino (gambling house) and build a powerful television and radio station. Italy protested and announced a blockade of San Marino. The borders were closed for several months, and eventually the dwarf state succumbed to force.

A powerful and combat-ready army is the key to a country’s significant weight in the international arena. Moreover, in connection with the well-known events in Syria and Ukraine, military power is increasingly being used different countries the utmost attention is paid. Many people ask the question: “Who will win the world war?”

Today we present an annually updated, official ranking of the world's armies; the full list includes the most powerful armies in the world in 2018.

Read updated according to Globalfirepower.

The top 10 was compiled according to data from a specialized resource.

• number of armies of the world (regular number of troops, reservists)
• weapons (airplanes, helicopters, tanks, navy, artillery, other equipment)
• military budget,
• resource availability, geographical location,
• logistics.

Nuclear potential is not taken into account by experts, but those recognized receive an advantage in ranking.

In 2018, the rating included136 countries. New to the list are Ireland (116th), Montenegro (121st) and Liberia(135 position).

By the way, San Marino has the weakest army in the world in 2018 - only 84 people.

10. German Army

Germany's military budget increased from 45 to 46 billion dollars. At the same time, the number of military personnel decreased - from186 up to 178 thousand people. The German army is completely professional, i.e. There has been no compulsory conscription in the country since 2011.

9. Turkish Armed Forces

In the past, the country of luxurious beaches and beautiful tomatoes ranked eighth in the top armies of the world. The number of its armed forces is 350 thousand people, and its military budget is 10.2 billion dollars.

8. Japan Self-Defense Forces

The Land of the Rising Sun worsened its military performance and dropped one place in the list of the best armies in the world. The military budget decreased from 49 to 44 billion dollars, but the number of military personnel did not change - over 247 thousand people.

7. South Korean Army

Compared to the previous ranking, South Korea “jumped” from 10th to 7th place. There are 625 thousand military personnel serving in the Korean army. At the eternal rival - North Korea, the number of soldiers reaches 945 thousand people. And South Korea's defense budget is $40 billion.

6. British Army

Although the country's position on the list has not changed, it has improved its performance in terms of army size (197 thousand people versus 188 thousand people). However, it still remains the smallest army in the ranking.

England's military budget decreased compared to 2017 from 55 to 50 billion dollars.

5. French Army

The French army, which opened the top 5 most powerful armies in the world, is small in number. Currently, 205 thousand people serve in it. At the same time, the country's defense budget is $40 billion.

4. Indian Armed Forces

The country's military budget is $47 billion. The number of Indian armed forces is 1,362,000 people, the country's army is the third largest in the world.

3. Chinese Army

The Celestial Empire has the largest human military force in the ranking of armies in the world. It employs 2,183,000 people. According to Wikipedia, there are 1.71 military personnel per 1,000 inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom. And China’s military budget is huge, comparable to the army - $151 billion (increased from $126 billion compared to 2017).

2. Russian Army

The Russian armed forces are superior to almost all armies of the world in terms of weapons capacity in all branches of the military - air, ground and sea. The size of the Russian army for 2018 is 1,013,000 people. The military budget is $47 billion. Among the superpowers, Russia has a very high rate of the number of military personnel per 1000 inhabitants - 5.3 people.

1. US Army

The most powerful army in the world, according to Globalfirepower, American. By the way, it is not the largest in terms of numbers, but the most powerful in terms of available weapons, including nuclear potential, which is not taken into account by experts. The size of the US Army is 1,281,900 people, and the defense budget is 647 billion.dollars.

Comparison table of armies of the world (Infographics)

No matter how armed the army is, the morale of the soldiers will play an important role in winning a world war. In this regard, it is a big mistake to consider the current distribution of seats to be absolutely correct.

Not all states have political ambitions or are forced to take care of protecting their borders; there are a number of countries for which the army is more a tribute to tradition than anything else. This does not in any way indicate the development or backwardness of the country, but as a rule, the inhabitants of these states are happy people.

San Marino (80 people)

The army of San Marino is voluntary; anyone from 16 to 55 years old can apply for enlistment. Despite its extreme small population, the country was not always neutral. For example, during the First World War, San Marino entered it on the side of the Entente and even delegated 15 fighters. Now the armed forces of this dwarf state have other tasks. Mostly ceremonial.

Vatican (101)

The smallest state on earth does not have the smallest army; moreover, even 50 years ago, the Vatican army had four types of units:

1. Swiss Guard.
2. Noble Guard.
3. Palace Guard.
4. Papal Gendarmerie.

Today only the Swiss remain. The other two guards were abolished, and the gendarmerie became the Vatican police. Nevertheless, the Vatican is the most militarized country on Earth - the only one where the percentage of the military to the entire population is double digits. Its closest competitor, North Korea, has a dismal 5%.

Antigua and Barbuda (170)

The country is located on islands in the Caribbean Sea and is part of the British Commonwealth, i.e. The official head of state is the Queen of Great Britain, so she feels relatively safe. There is no conscription here; the armed forces are formed on a completely voluntary basis.

Seychelles (450)

Interesting fact: he was directly involved in the formation of the Seychelles armed forces Soviet Union. In 1976, when the country got rid of the British protectorate, the first warship to enter the port of Victoria was the Soviet landing ship. The main advisers in building the army were Tanzanians, who themselves studied with Soviet military advisers in Tanzania. At first, the army consisted of only 300 people, but this was enough to protect the government from a coup (attempts to which were constantly made here throughout the 70-80s).

Tonga (470)

The Tonga Defense Force, as the local army is called, is designed to protect law and order and royal authority. They consist of three parts: the regular army, the reserve and the territorial army. There are ground forces and naval forces, the latter divided into marines and aviation. How all this fits into 470 people is a mystery.

Barbados (610)

The small but quite aggressive army of Barbados participated in both world wars, and in 1983, during a joint operation with the United States, it occupied Grenada. Consists of ground forces - 500 people and naval forces - 110 military personnel. The army is voluntary, mobilization reserves - 73,200 people.

Gambia (800)

Ground forces - a company of the presidential guard, an engineering and infantry battalion, Navy - 5 patrol boats and 70 sailors. Military budget: $2.3 million. Resources to mobilize about 327,000 people.

Bahamas (860)

A technically equipped army, the only one of those presented above that has aviation. Consists of ground forces (500 “commandos” (500 people) and three units: artillery, security and coastal defense), Navy (2 large and 7 small patrol boats) and Air Force (6 aircraft).

Luxembourg (900)

The strongest of all small armies. With a huge military budget by the standards of these countries - $556 million. It is armed with 6 heavy anti-tank missile systems, a mortar and artillery battery, and armored vehicles. The Air Force consists of 17 aircraft. Foreigners who have lived in the country for at least 36 months are allowed to serve in the Luxembourg army.

MOSCOW, January 3 - RIA Novosti, Andrey Kots. Almost everyone who is even slightly interested in military topics can name the five countries with the most numerous and well-equipped armed forces. Meanwhile, there are enough states on the planet with much more compact armies. About the smallest armed forces in the world - in the material of RIA Novosti.

San Marino

There are somewhere between 75-100 people in the army of the Republic of San Marino. For an area of ​​61 square kilometers, this is even a bit much. The entire country is surrounded by Italy and is under the protectorate of Rome. The main military contingent of the dwarf state is the palace guard corps, whose duties include guarding the Republican Palace, patrolling the borders and assisting the police. They abandoned conscription in San Marino a long time ago; service is purely voluntary.

Since San Marino is not a member of NATO and other military blocs, the army is involved exclusively in ceremonial events related to national holidays and meetings of foreign government delegations. The honor guard is armed with Austrian Glock pistols of various models, as well as Italian Beretta BM59 rifles of the 1959 model. There are no armored vehicles, and ordinary SUVs are used to quickly transport troops. There is also no air force.

Despite its modest army, the republic repeatedly took part in wars. For example, in the First World War it took the side of the Entente and allocated 15 soldiers to participate in the fighting. During World War II, despite the neutrality declared by the authorities, San Marino was occupied by the Germans. The British Air Force regularly carried out raids on the Nazis stationed here. There were also casualties among civilians.

Vatican

The proverb “not by numbers, but by skill” perfectly suits the Vatican Armed Forces, represented by the Swiss Guard Corps, numbering 110 military personnel. This unit is responsible for the security of the Pope and is staffed by experienced and well-trained soldiers. The personnel are only Swiss citizens and only Catholics. The official language of the Guard is German. The main functions are guard duty at the entrance to the Vatican, on all floors of the Apostolic Palace, at the chambers of the pope and the secretary of state. Not a single solemn mass in St. Peter's Cathedral, not a single audience or diplomatic reception is complete without the guards.

Weapons were repeatedly confiscated from the arsenal of the guards, but then returned. The last time was after the assassination attempt on John Paul II on May 13, 1981. The Guards Corps is armed with SIGSauer P220 and Glock 19 pistols, Heckler & Koch MP5A3 submachine guns and SIGSG 550 assault rifles. There is no military equipment as it is unnecessary. If something happens, the city-state will always cover Italy.

Antigua and Barbuda

The armed forces of the tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda have just 170 men under arms. The ground forces consist of one battalion and are responsible for internal security on par with the local police.

The army of the kingdom was also involved in international operations. In particular, 14 military personnel took part in the invasion of Grenada on October 25, 1983 under US command. And in 1995, royal soldiers, as part of Operation Support Democracy, operated in Haiti when the Americans invaded the island to return to power the legitimate president who had been overthrown by the military junta.

The kingdom also has a coast guard, where about 50 people serve. Their areas of responsibility include suppressing drug trafficking, ensuring the safety of fishing, and combating illegal migration.

Seychelles

The Seychelles, with a population of 90 thousand people, has 450 troops under arms. It also has its own Air Force: five turboprop aircraft - two Chinese Y-12s, two German Dornier 228s and one Canadian DHC-6 Twin Otter.

The navy is represented by several patrol boats and two old Type-062 gunboats transferred to the Seychelles by China and the UAE. These boats are even equipped with artillery - 57 mm cannons. In addition, the Navy includes an 80-person Marine Corps unit.

The Barbados Coast Guard consists of 110 military personnel and six American-made light patrol boats. Also on the territory of this state is the headquarters of the regional security forces of the Caribbean countries. He is primarily responsible for combating drug trafficking and eliminating the consequences of natural disasters.

The Swiss Guard is one of the oldest and smallest armies in the world. Over its centuries-old history, the size of the corps has rarely exceeded one hundred people, but the most interesting thing is that the Swiss Guard does not serve Switzerland, but a completely different state - the Vatican.

We were lucky while visiting the Vatican - the guards were in full dress uniform, which is called "gala", and looks probably the most unusual among all the uniforms of the modern armed forces:

Swiss Guard (full name - lat. Cohors pedestris Helvetiorum a sacra custodia Pontificis — Infantry cohort of the Swiss sacred guard of the Pope) is not easy armed forces Vatican, and one of oldest armies world, surviving to this day, and the smallest army on the planet.

In 1506, Pope Julius II, known for his military campaigns, asked Switzerland to send soldiers to protect the borders of the Vatican. Even then, the Swiss were known as excellent soldiers, but the Pontiff was able to verify this personally. Hiding in France and fighting for the papal throne, the future Pontiff persuaded Charles VIII to make a military campaign against Naples. Having a militant character, Julius II himself joined the ranks of the Swiss guards of the French king. Having become Pontiff, he invited to serve those with whom he fought shoulder to shoulder.

Chroniclers of those years spoke of the Swiss in battle like this: “It was not a battle, but simply a massive beating of Austrian soldiers; the mountaineers killed them like sheep in the slaughterhouse; They did not spare anyone, they exterminated every single one of them without distinction, until there was no one left.” Indeed, the “Schvis” (a contemptuous nickname for Swiss mercenaries among Europeans) spared no one. They took no prisoners and were ready to kill even their own comrades if they escaped.

There was one more feature that distinguished the Swiss from other mercenaries - they were distinguished by their loyalty.

The Vatican Swiss Guard took part in hostilities only once, in 1527, during the capture and sack of Rome by the troops of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Pope Clement VII owes his salvation to the guards. In 1527, 147 guardsmen died defending the pope. On May 6, in memory of this event, guard recruits take the oath.

Since then, the Vatican has been guarded exclusively by the Swiss. Much later, when fascist troops entered Rome, the guards did not leave their posts and took up a perimeter defense. The Wehrmacht command ordered the troops not to occupy the Vatican, and not a single German soldier set foot on its territory.

The costumes for the Swiss Guard were designed by tailor Jules Repon, commissioned by Benedict XV in 1914. He was inspired by one of Raphael's images, which contained similar elements. The tailor created a suit in the Renaissance style, removing the frilly hats, and chose a black beret as the main headdress. Each Swiss Guard has a casual and dress uniform.

The dress uniform is called “gala” and exists in two versions: gala and grand gala - “large dress uniform”. Grand gala is worn during special ceremonies. It is a dress uniform, complete with a cuirass and a white metal morion helmet with a red plume, consists of 154 pieces and weighs over 8 pounds - not the lightest dress clothing.

There is also a legend that the uniform of the guards was sewn according to the drawings of Michelangelo. However, there is no historical evidence of this.

St. Peter's Basilica is one of the entrances to the Vatican:

Today, the guards are one of the calling cards of the Vatican. And although many believe that they are just a folklore division, this is not so. Of course, not a single solemn and diplomatic ceremony is complete without them, but this is only a small part of their service. The main purpose of the guard - protecting the pontiff - remained unchanged. As stated in the charter, they serve “to ensure the security of the sacred person of the pope and his residence.”

Windows of the papal chambers:

Guardsmen guard the entrances to the Vatican, the chambers of the Pope and the Secretary of State, control access to the city-state, issue background information pilgrims

During public appearances of the Pope, they provide his personal security, always being nearby. Moreover, since the assassination attempt on John Paul II in 1981, they have been supported by members of the Italian intelligence services. When there are no services in the square and, accordingly, the Pope is not present either, the guards do not appear and Italian carabinieri keep order in front of the cathedral.