A standing army is a permanent, often professional, army. It is composed of full-time soldiers who may be either career soldiers or conscripts. It differs from army reserves, who are enrolled for the long term, but activated only during wars or natural disasters, and temporary armies, which are raised from the civilian population only during a war or threat of war, and disbanded once the war or threat is over. Standing armies tend to be better equipped, better trained, and better prepared for emergencies, defensive deterrence, and particularly, wars.[1] The term dates from approximately 1600, although the phenomenon it describes is much older.[2]
Sargon of Akkad, the founder of the Akkadian Empire, is believed to have formed the first standing professional army.[3][4] Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria (ruled 745–727 BC) created Assyria's first standing army.[5][6] Tiglath-Pileser III disbanded militias and instead paid professional soldiers for their services. His army was composed largely of Assyrian soldiers but was supplemented with foreign mercenaries an