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The British Army is the Land Armed Forces branch of the British Armed Forces . In contrast to the Royal Navy , Royal Marines and Royal Air Force , the British Army does not include "royal" in its title, because of its roots as a collection of disparate units, many of which themselves do bear the "royal" prefix. Throughout its history the British Army has taken part in many campaigns throughout the world. Today the Army is one of the most technologically advanced land forces in the world, and is deployed in many of the world's war zones as part of a fighting force, and in United Nations peacekeeping forces. HISTORY ''See main article, History Of The British Army '' Foundation Prior to the English Civil War in 1642, there was no standing army in England or Scotland . Troops were raised by the King when required, a development of the feudal concept of Fief (in which a lord was obligated to raise a certain quota of Knights , men at arms and Yeomanry , under greater control of the King). After the Civil War, Parliament assumed control of the Army, and standing companies based on Cromwell's New Model Army formed the concept of the first Regiment s. The Restoration of Charles II saw the Model Army kept as a standing force, and the King raised further regiments loyal to the Crown. On January 26th, 1661 Charles II issued the warrant that officially founded the British Army. Bill of Rights This period in British history saw the Union Of England And Scotland into the Kingdom Of Great Britain . In an effort to control the powers of the monarch, Parliament passed the Bill Of Rights 1689 to prevent a standing army in peacetime without the consent of Parliament. To this day, annual continuation notices are required for the British Army to remain legal in times of peace. However, Parliament still does not control the use of the army (only the monarch, and his/her government gives commands and declares war). The last ruling King to go into battle was King George II at the Battle Of Dettingen in 1743. However the last king to go into battle was King George VI but he was still the Duke Of York at this time. British Empire From around 1763 until at least 1914, the United Kingdom was the dominant military and economic power of the world. The British Empire expanded in this time to include Colonies and Dominion s throughout the Americas , Africa , Asia and Australasia . Although the Royal Navy is widely regarded as being vital for the rise of Empire, and British dominance of the world, the British Army played an important role in colonisation. Firstly, the British Army provided Garrison s for the colonies, protecting them against foreign powers and hostile natives. Secondly, the troops also helped capture strategically important territories for the British, allowing the British Empire to expand throughout the globe. The British Army fought American colonists in the American Revolutionary War ; Irish rebels in the 1798 Rebellion ; the Chinese in the First and Second Opium War s; Māori tribes in the first of the New Zealand Wars ; India n princely forces and British East India Company mutineers in the Indian Mutiny ; the Boers in the Boer Wars ; and Irish Separatists in the Anglo-Irish War . European wars Despite its increasingly global commitments, Britain's backdoor was still unstable, and many wars on the European continent were fought with various opponents. As well as foreign powers, Britain was still not politically stable at home, with uprisings to support the direct heirs of James II , who had been deposed in the Revolution Of 1688. The Jacobite Risings ended at the Battle Of Culloden . On the continent, British foreign policy was to contain aggression by its competitor powers such as France and Spain . The territorial ambitions of the French led to the War Of The Spanish Succession and the Napoleonic Wars . Russian activity led to the Crimean War . World Wars Great Britain's dominance of the world had been challenged by numerous other powers, notably Germany . The UK was allied with France (by the Entente Cordiale ) and Russia, and when war broke out in 1914, the British Army sent the British Expeditionary Force to France and Belgium to prevent Germany from occupying these countries. The War would be the most devastating in British military history, with over 900,000 men killed and over 2 million wounded. In the early part of the war, the professional force of the BEF was decimated and, by turns, a volunteer (and then conscripted) force replaced it. Major battles included the Battle Of The Somme . Advances in technology saw British advent of the Tank and advances in Aircraft design which were to be decisive in future battles. Trench warfare dominated strategy, and the use of chemical and poison gases added to the devastation. In 1939, World War II broke out with the German invasion of Poland . British assurances to the Polish led the British Empire to declare war on Germany, allied with France. Again an Expeditionary Force was sent to France, only to be hastily evacuated as the German forces swept through the Low Countries and across France in 1940. Only the Dunkirk Evacuations saved the entire Expeditionary Force from capture. Later, however, the British would have success defeating the Italians and Germans at the Battle Of El Alamein in North Africa , and in the D-Day Invasions Of Normandy . In the Far East, the British Army battled the Japan ese in Burma . World War II saw the British army develop its Commando units including the Special Air Service . 1945-1990 After the end of World War II, the British Empire declined with the independence of India , and other colonies in Africa and Asia. Accordingly the strength of the British military was reduced, in recognition of Britain's reduced role in world affairs. However, a large deployment of British Troops remained in Germany, facing the threat of Soviet invasion. The Cold War saw massive technological advances in warfare, and the Army saw more technological advanced weapons systems installed. Despite the decline of the British Empire, the Army was still deployed around the world, fighting in the Korean War , the Suez Crisis of 1956, and colonial wars in Oman and Malaysia . In 1982 the British Army, alongside the Royal Marines , helped to recapture the Falkland Islands during the Falklands War against Argentina . In the three decades following 1969, the Army was heavily deployed in Northern Ireland , to support the Royal Ulster Constabulary (later the Police Service Of Northern Ireland ) in their conflict with loyalist and republican paramilitary groups. The locally-recruited Ulster Defence Regiment was formed, later becoming the Royal Irish Regiment in 1992. Over 700 soldiers were killed during the Troubles . Following the IRA ceasefires between 1994 and 1996 and since 1997, demilitarisation has taken place as part of the peace process, much reducing the military presence in the area. 1990-present The ending of the Cold War saw a 40% cut in manpower, significantly reducing the size of the Army. Despite this, the Army has been deployed in an increasingly global role. In 1991, the United Kingdom was the second largest contributor to the coalition force that fought Iraq in the Gulf War . Later the Army would see service in the former republics of Yugoslavia in the Bosnian War and the Kosovo War . In 2003, the United Kingdom was the only other major contributor to the United States led Invasion Of Iraq . In 2001 The Parachute Regiment were depolyed in Kabul , Afghanistan to assist in the liberation of the troubled capital. Royal Marines Commandos also swept the Afghan mountains but this force is considered part of the Royal Navy . The Army has also been deployed in many Peacekeeping Operations , such as in Sierra Leone and in the War Against Terrorism . Some peacekeeping operations are under United Nations mandates. The SAS unit of the British Army is specifically trained for anti-terror operations, and fought in Afghanistan in 2001; capturing & securing the Bagram Airbase now used by U.S. Forces. A squadron of SAS troops is always present on the UK mainland to respond to terrorist attacks. There has been a reduction in the number of troops deployed in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998. In 2005, after the IRA announced an end to armed conflict in Northern Ireland, it was revealed that the British Army would dismantle posts in the province and withdraw many troops. THE ARMY TODAY For equipment, see '' Modern Equipment And Uniform Of The British Army '' Statistics Current deployments EQUIPMENT A summary of the major equipment currently in service with the British Army. For a more comprehensive list with details, see Modern Equipment And Uniform Of The British Army . For a list of historic and obsolete equipment that has been used by the British Army, see Historic Equipment And Uniform Of The British Army .
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