Military branch
Encyclopedia
Military branch is according to common standard the subdivision of the national armed forces
of a sovereign nation or state. As to classical NATO terminology the three basic military branches are Army
, Air Force
(in some countries also Luftwaffe
or Luftstreitkräfte
) and Navy
.
In some countries there might be other military branches. In addition to the above mentioned military branches there are for example:
The army is traditionally the oldest – and in many countries the biggest armed service.
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
of a sovereign nation or state. As to classical NATO terminology the three basic military branches are Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
, Air Force
Air force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
(in some countries also Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
or Luftstreitkräfte
Luftstreitkräfte
The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte , known before October 1916 as Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches , or simply Die Fliegertruppen, was the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I...
) and Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
.
Particularity
Countries which do not have access to any of the high sea or any oceans generally do not have a national navy.In some countries there might be other military branches. In addition to the above mentioned military branches there are for example:
- in ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
the CarabinieriCarabinieriThe Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...
, - in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
the Gendarmerie NationaleGendarmerie NationaleGendarmerie Nationale may refer to:*Gendarmerie Nationale *Gendarmerie Nationale - Merged with Belgian police in 2001.and also:*Gendarmerie Nationale *Gendarmerie Nationale *Gendarmerie Nationale...
, - in South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
the South Corean Marine Corps (Haebyeongdae), and - in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
the Marine CorpsUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and the Coast GuardUnited States Coast GuardThe United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency... - in RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
the Russian Airborne Troops.
Historical development
The military branches cam into being in line with military technical progress and have been developed permanently. With that bag round, the air force was established early in the 20th century as one of the latest armed service.The army is traditionally the oldest – and in many countries the biggest armed service.