A Strong Army in a Free State; a Study of the Old English and Modern Swiss Militias

A Strong Army in a Free State is a fascinating study of the military traditions and practices of two countries with distinctive republican and federalist traditions: England and Switzerland. Written by G. G. Coulton, a renowned historian and social critic, it compares and contrasts the historical and contemporary developments of the English and Swiss militia systems, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. Coulton argues that both countries have successfully maintained a strong and efficient defense sector by relying on the recruitment, training, and leadership of citizen-soldiers, rather than professional armies or mercenaries. He also examines the cultural and political factors that have shaped these systems, such as civic virtue, patriotism, democracy, and neutrality. This book is a timely and insightful contribution to the debates on national security and civil-military relations. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.