A military parade is a formation of military personnels whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as drill or marching. Large military parades are today held on major holidays and military events around the world. Massed parades may also hold a role for propaganda purposes, being used to exhibit the apparent military strength of a country.
History
A military parade is a formation of soldiers whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as drilling or marching. The terminology comes from the tradition of close order formation combat, in which soldiers were held in very strict formations as to maximise their combat effectiveness. Formation combat was used as an alternative to melee combat, and required strict discipline in the ranks and competent officers. Close order formation combat has been phased out by advances in military equipment and tactic, and modern infantry now use skirmish formation and order. However, foot drill is an important part of military education and training to instill pride and discipline among personnel.
In ancient times, drilling increased in importance when men stopped fighting as individuals and began to fight together as units. Drilling as a vital component of a war machine further increased with the increases in the size of armies, for example, when Philip II of Macedon disciplined his army so they could swiftly form the phalanxes that were so critical to his successes as a general. Military drilling later was used by the Roman Army to maximise efficiency and deadliness throughout their long history.
Modern armies use parades for ceremonial purposes, encouragement and show of discipline and to instill confidence in the country's military forces.
The U.S. drill is based on the contributions of Baron von Steuben, a Prussian Army officer who served in the Continental Army.Paul Lockhart, The Drillmaster of Valley Forge: The Baron de Steuben and the Making of the American Army (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books, 2008) During the winter quarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, von Steuben taught a model company of 100 soldiers musket drill. These soldiers, in turn, taught the remainder of the Continental Army.
The oldest, largest and most famous regular military parade in Europe is the Bastille Day Military Parade which is held each 14 July, on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, during France's national day celebrations.
Rationale
A military drill is memorizing certain actions through repetition until the action is instinctive to the soldiers being drilled. Complex actions are broken down into simpler ones which can be practiced in isolation so when the whole is put together the desired results are achieved. Such is necessary for a fighting force to perform at maximum efficiency in all manner of situations. However, depending on the army and the drills it adopts, drilling may destroy flexibility and initiative in exchange for predictability and cohesion.
Recruits in most modern militaries are taught drill to teach them how to work and move as a team. In addition, formations are still used in riot control, where mêlée combat is still the norm.
Types of military parades Flypast Victory parade Naval parade Pass in review
Current era Drill is today used to demonstrate discipline and cohesion in a modern military force. Large military parades are today held on major holidays and military events around the world. It usually held on occasions of national importance such as a country's independence day, and therefore is presided over by the head of state who, in most cases, is the commander in chief of the combined national military forces of that country. Today, military parades include all aspects of military drill, from an exhibition drill of precision drill teams and military bands (in addition to the occasional corps of drums, fanfare band, pipe band and/or drum and bugle corps), as well as an exhibition of military weapons such as a mobile column, the occasional mounted cavalry column (led by a mounted band), a naval parade, and a fly past by the country's air force. When on parade, most of the participating soldiers wear their ceremonial uniforms and carry the standards/colours of their respective battalions/regiments/corps/academies. In many countries, the military contingent is joined by contingents from youth cadet organizations, personnel from the police and fire services, civil defense and emergency services and by occasion jail and border services, youth police and fire cadets, veterans and personnel of the civil service with occasional participation by civilian organizations, educational institutions, cultural groups and athletes.
By country Albania Albania has long been influenced by Greek and Italian influences and even Soviet/Russian tradition. During the era of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania, Liberation Day, which then the main national holiday, was celebrated with a military parade of the Albanian People's Army on Tirana's Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard. These parades have been held in 1954, 1959, 1964, 1974, 1984 and 1989. They usually consist of veterans, schoolchildren, militiamen alongside regular force personnel.
Today, military parades of the Albanian Armed Forces are held on Albanian Flag Day and Constitution Day on 28 November. One of the more notable modern military parades was held on the 100th Anniversary of the Independence of Albania, in which a special unit of 65 soldiers from the Kosovo Security Force, as well as other foreign contingents, participated. The other took place on 4 December 2007 in honour of the 95th anniversary of the Albanian Armed Forces.
Argentina Argentina's long history of military parades are a heritage inherited from the times of the Spanish colonial Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata, with influences from Germany, France, Britain, and Italy. Today the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the paramilitary Argentine National Gendarmerie and Argentine Naval Prefecture hosts massive military parades featuring armed companies, cadets, and military bands on the following days (national events unless otherwise noted):
January 24 – anniversary of the beginning of the Crossing of the Andes (local commemoration) February 3 – anniversary of the Battle of San Lorenzo (local commemoration) April 2 – Malvinas War Veterans' Day May 10 – anniversary of Air Force baptism of fire in the Falklands War May 17 – Navy Day, anniversary of the victory at the Battle of Buceo May 25 – First National Government Anniversary Day May 29 – Army Day June 17 – General Martín Miguel de Güemes Memorial Day (local commemoration) June 20 – Flag Day June 30 – Naval Prefecture Day July 9 – Independence Day July 28 – National Gendarmerie Day August 10 – Air Force Day September 24 – Battle of Tucuman Day (local commemoration) November 20 – National Sovereignty Day
Australia and New Zealand As both Commonwealth realms, Australia and New Zealand share the customs and traditions of parades of the British Armed Forces. The friendship and cooperation of the defence services of both countries can be seen in the annual Anzac Day parades every 25 April, in memory of the namesake Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, which was heavily involved in the long Battle of Gallipoli and were the first Allied forces to land there on that day in 1915. On this day, in many major cities in these two countries, parades are held involving personnel of both the Australian Defence Force and the New Zealand Defence Force, veterans' organizations, cadet organizations, and other youth uniformed groups and personnel of the police and fire services, as well as students of schools and universities honoring many of their fallen alumni of the long campaign.
Parades are also held jointly in these two countries on 11 November, Remembrance Day.
Aside from these two days, the schedule of annual military and civil parades held in these two countries is as follows:
For parades in Australia: National level parades are held on: 26 January, Australia Day The second Monday of June, the King's Birthday, marked in most of Eastern Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory typically the last Monday of September or the first Monday of October, King's Birthday Holiday for Western Australia 1st Monday in October, King's Birthday Holiday for Queensland Local parades involving armed forces, police and fire personnel are held on: 2nd Monday in March in the ACT, Canberra Day 6 June in Queensland, Queensland Day first Monday in June in Western Australia, Western Australia Day first working day after Christmas Day, Proclamation Day in South Australia Parades are also held in the following cases: during change of command, retirement and recruit and cadet passing out parades and regimental anniversaries within the service branches of the ADF and all military academies During holiday parades held in major cities as can be permitted by the commander of the unit taking part, including: the AFL Grand Final Parade in Melbourne For parades in New Zealand: National level parades are held on: 6 February, Waitangi Day on the 1st Monday in June, the King's Birthday Local parades involving armed forces, police, and fire personnel are held within the anniversary days of the former Provinces of New Zealand, which were abolished in 1876, the days of which are as set by their respective district and city governments. Change of command, retirement, and recruit and cadet graduation parades, together with regimental anniversary parades, are also held occasionally within the service branches of the NZDF and its training institutions.
Bangladesh The Bangladesh Armed Forces parade tradition was inherited from both the Pakistan and British Armed Forces as its first infantry unit, the East Bengal Regiment, was raised in then East Pakistan 1948 from Bengali servicemen who served in the former British Indian Army, whose drills were similar to those in the rest of the Commonwealth. Today the Armed Forces, together with Border Guards Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Police, Bangladesh Jail, Bangladesh Ansar, Bangladesh Fire Service & Civil Defence and the youth cadets under the Bangladesh National Cadet Corps, marches on ceremonial parades held on the following occasions:
26 March, Independence Day 21 November, Armed Forces Day 16 December, Victory Day On the occasion of change of command and passing out parades in all academies, cadet colleges and training institutions of the uniformed organizations
Bolivia Uniquely, the parade tradition of the Bolivian Armed Forces is similar to those of Prussia and the German Empire but with the difference that the current march step is at slow time, to enable a knee-high goose step when on the march for most units (others, including recruit battalions and civilian students of the Military Engineering School, march in quick time without the goosestep and following the Bundeswehr practice). The Prussian tradition was introduced to the country in the early 1900s thanks to German and Chilean instructors and officers. Today, alongside the Bolivian National Police Corps, the Armed Forces marches in public parades in the following holidays:
January 22, Plurinational State of Bolivia Anniversary January 29, La Paz Liberation Day March 23, Day of the Sea May 25, anniversary of the Chuquisaca Revolution July 17, anniversary of the La Paz revolution August 6, Independence Day August 7, Armed Forces Day September 14, anniversary of the Cochabamba Revolution of 1810 September 24, anniversary of the Santa Cruz revolution of 1810 October 12, Air Force Day November 6, Navy Day November 10, Army Day On the occasion of the inaugurations of the president of Bolivia On the foundation days of major cities
Brazil