Not even 100,000: the size of the British army has shrunk to its smallest size since the Napoleonic Wars

Official government figures show that only 72,510 full-time, trained soldiers are currently ready for deployment. This is the smallest number of British troops since the Napoleonic era.

Here's What We Know

Years of steady budget cuts have left only 73,000 soldiers in service. For comparison, China has an army of 2 million people, Russia has 1.3 million, and the United States has 460,000 soldiers in the army.

Currently, the British army is smaller than the armies of Romania and Bangladesh and slightly larger than the armies of Canada and Armenia. The lowest level of numbers over the past two centuries was in 1823, when the British army had only 72,000 soldiers. However, the population of the country in 1823 was just over 20 million, compared to about 67 million today. Adjusted for population, the British army in the 19th century would have had 225,000 soldiers today.

This raises questions about Britain's ability to support NATO, confront Russia, or engage in any major or long-term conflict.

"Today, the British army is a one-trick pony. If the army is deployed, it will fight for a maximum of six months and then be completely exhausted," Nicholas Drummond, a British defence expert and former infantry officer, told Business Insider.

It is worth noting that in 1989, the British army had 156,000 soldiers, which is twice the current number. Like many other armies after the end of the Cold War, it was downsized due to lack of need, difficulties in recruiting soldiers and the belief that precision weapons were a panacea.

However, the staggering casualties and trench warfare of the conflict in Ukraine suggest that future wars will be gruelling, with victory going to the countries with the most stamina, industrial power and resources.

Source: Business Insider