Militia

Lexington Minuteman representing militia minuteman John Parker

A militia is a group of citizens organized to provide paramilitary service. The word can have four slightly different meanings:
* An official reserve army, composed of citizen soldiers
* The national police forces in Russia, and other CIS countries, and the Soviet Union: Militsiya
* The entire able-bodied population of a state, which can be called to arms against an invading enemy
* A private, non-government force, not necessarily directly supported or sanctioned by its government

In any of these cases, a militia is distinct from a national regular army. It can serve to supplement the regular military, or it can oppose it, for example to resist a military coup. In some circumstances, the "enemies" against which a militia is mobilized are domestic political opponents of the government, such as strikers. In many cases the role, or even the existence of a militia, is controversial. For these reasons legal restrictions may be placed on the mobilization or use of militia.

Australia

Militia was an alternate name for the Citizens Military Forces (CMF), the reserve units of the Australian Army between 1901 and 1980. After Australian federation, the six former colonial militias were merged to form the CMF. Initially the CMF infantry forces formed the vast bulk of the Australian Army, along with standing artillery and engineer units.

The Defense Act of (1903) granted the Australian federal government the powers to conscript men of military age for home defence. However, these powers were unpopular and were used only for short periods at a time. The government was also forbidden by law from deploying the CMF outside Australian territories, or using it in strikes and other industrial disputes.

As a result of the ban on foreign service, during World War I and World War II, all-volunteer Australian Imperial Forces were formed for overseas deployment. CMF units were sometimes scorned by AIF soldiers as "chocolate soldiers" or "chockos", because "they would melt under the pressure" of military operations.

Nevertheless, some Militia units distinguished themselves in action against the Empire of Japan during the Pacific War, and suffered extremely high casualties. In mid-1942 Militia units fought in two significant battles, both in New Guinea, which was then an Australian territory. The exploits of the young and poorly trained soldiers of the 39th (Militia) Battalion during the rearguard action on the Kokoda Track remain celebrated to this day, as is the contribution of the 7th Brigade at the Battle of Milne Bay.

Later in the war, the law was changed to allow the transfer of Militia units to the 2nd AIF, if 65% of the personnel had volunteered for overseas service. Another change allowed Militia units to serve anywhere south of the Equator in South East Asia. Consequently they also saw action against Japanese forces in the Dutch East Indies.

In addition to the CMF, the Volunteer Defence Corps, a volunteer force modeled on the British Home Guard, was formed in 1940 and had a strength of almost 100,000 men across Australia at its peak.

After the war, CMF units continued to form the bulk of the peacetime army, although the creation of standing infantry units — such as the Royal Australian Regiment — from 1947, meant that the regular army grew in importance. By 1980, when the name of the CMF was changed to the Army Reserve, the regular army was the more significant force.

Canada

In Canada the word militia refers to the part-time army reserve component of the Canadian Forces. Militia troops usually train one night a week and every weekend of the month, except in the summer; summertime training generally consists of a course and/or a "call out", as well as a longer exercise, usually 8-15 days. A call out can involve any job a soldier might be expected to do: staff member on a course, ceremonial guard duty, etc. In addition, primary reserve members may volunteer for service with the regular force overseas - usually NATO or United Nations missions. Reserve courses are often shortened versions of the same regular force course, but can use regular force staff members.

Most Canadian cities have one or more militia units. Often these 'regiments' perpetuate famous Canadian regiments that are no longer required as part of the regular forces.

Germany

The name Freikorps (German for "Free Corps") was originally applied to voluntary armies. The first freikorps were recruited by Frederick II of Prussia during the Seven Years' War. The freikorps were regarded as unreliable by regular armies, so that they were mainly used as sentries and for minor duties.

However, after 1918, the term was used for far-right paramilitary organizations that sprang up around Germany as soldiers returned in defeat from World War I. They were one of the many Weimar paramilitary groups active during that time. They received considerable support from Gustav Noske, the German Defence Minister who used them to crush the Spartakist League with enormous violence, including the murders of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg on January 15, 1919. They were also used to put down the Bavarian Soviet Republic in 1919. They were officially "disbanded" in 1920, although former members later backed the Kapp Putsch in March 1920 (which ended in disaster).

Some future members and, indeed, leaders of the Nazi Party were members of a Freikorps, including Ernst Röhm, future head of the Sturmabteilung or SA, and Rudolf Höß, the future Kommandant of Auschwitz.

New Zealand

Many localised Militia saw service, together with British Imperial troops, during the New Zealand land wars. The Militia were disbanded and reformed as the Territorial Army in 1911.

Switzerland

One of the most famous and ancient militias is the Swiss Army. Switzerland long maintained, proportionally, the second largest military force in the world, with about half the proportional amount of reserve forces of the Israeli Defence Force, a militia of some 33% of the total population. In 1995, the number of soldiers was reduced to 400,000 (including reservists, amounting to some 5.6% of the population) and again in 2004, to 200,000 (including 80,000 reservists, or 2.7% of the population).

United Kingdom

In modern British usage, the term paramilitary is more widely used in regard to non-government forces such as the UVF, UDA and Provisional IRA in Northern Ireland. The use of this term in such circumstances has negative connotations.

The British military is controlled by the government of the day, through Parliament, which has access to the resources to maintain a standing army.

Until the late 17th century, at various times, the Crown and Parliament were in strong disagreement, but Parliament's economic ability to use the army was counterbalanced by the Crown's traditional ability to organise militia forces. The English Bill of Rights (1689) declared, amongst other things: "that the raising or keeping a standing army within the kingdom in time of peace, unless it be with consent of Parliament, is against law..." and "that the subjects which are Protestants may have arms for their defense suitable to their conditions and as allowed by law." The Militia Act 1757 which substantiated the raising of militia, did not apply in Scotland. This was resented by some and the Militia Club, soon to become the Poker Club, was formed to promote the raising of a Scottish militia. This and several other Edinburgh clubs became the crucible of the Scottish Enlightenment.

The Crown still officially controls the use of the army. However, successive British governments were able to circumvent the intent of the Bill of Rights through annual continuation notices, and the technical legality of the British Army, in times of peace, still rests on these notices. A large standing army had come into existence by the mid-19th century; the British government of the day commands it and both declares and wages wars.

Following the creation of a large standing army, the word militia fell into disuse in the UK, although many units retained the distinction of being designated "militia" units as extra battalions of regular regiments and "Irish" militia were heavily relied upon to suppress rebellion in Ireland. With the establishent of the Territorial Force (later Territorial Army) in 1908, the militia transferred to the Special Reserve. The Special Reserve reverted to its militia designation in 1921, then to Supplementary Reserve in 1924, though the units were effectively placed in "suspended animation" until disbanded in 1953.

Three units still maintain their militia designation in the British Army, two in the Territorial Army and one in the Army Cadet Force. These are the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (formed in 1539), the Jersey Field Squadron (The Royal Militia Island of Jersey) (formed in 1337), and the Royal Alderney Militia (created in the 13th Century and reformed in 1984). Additionally, the Atholl Highlanders are a (ceremonial) private army maintained by the Duke of Atholl — they are the only legal private army in the United Kingdom.

United States

There is a long history of militias in the United States, starting before the country became a country with the colonial militias normally consisting of all adult male citizens. This practice was continued after the signing of the U.S. Constitution, and remained relatively unchanged until the late 1800s. After the civil war, State guard units of select milita were created. After 1903 the militia was divided into two groups, unorganized and organized. Organized units were created from portions of the former state guards and became state National Guard units. Some states later created State Defense Forces for assistance in local emergencies. Privately organized militias, not affiliated with any government organization, and usually formed by citizens suspicious of the activities and politics of Federal and state governments, blossomed in the mid 1990s, then faded.

Private militia organizations

Private militia organizations are organized militia groups which may or may not be condoned by their respective government. Most private militia groups are armed or espouse the use of arms, however some groups (mostly U.S. groups) espouse political protest and more peaceful means of bringing about political change.

Many private militia organizations hold themselves to a political, social, or religious ideology.

Left wing militia

The left wing militias generally consider themselves to be freedom fighters and run the gamut of leftist causes, from the national liberation movements under foreign occupation, to the various terrorist groups such as the Red Brigades, and communist guerillas in Central America. As their funding and armament in the 20th century came almost entirely from the Soviet Union, Maoist China (1949-1976) and other Marxist-Leninist states, many of these organizations declined in their activities during the 1990s, as these governments fell or changed their nature.

For information on U.S. left-wing "militia" groups see article Left wing militia in the United States.