II.

British Army

The British Army has around 100,000 troops. All are volunteers, as are the Australian and New Zealand armies (26,600- and 4,430-strong respectively). The British Army underwent major changes after World War II. Forces were withdrawn from former colonies and re-stationed in Europe. The Territorial Army was reduced and in 1960 conscription was phased out. The modern British Army has been restructured since the ending of the Cold War. Its main defence roles are the protection of the United Kingdom’s civil power (such as operations in Northern Ireland); North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operations (such as the Gulf War in 1991); and operations elsewhere in the world (“out-of-area” operations) to support international order and lend support to humanitarian aid.