The secretary of state for war explained the small British army through politics as much as military doctrine. Parliament distrusted a standing force whose command and promotions remained closely tied to the sovereign, even though the Commons voted its funding each year. The public expected the Royal Navy to protect an island state and saw the army chiefly as a force for colonies and domestic order. Ministers also competed for popularity by reducing military expenditure after decades of costly war. These constraints left little depth for a sudden great-power campaign and made the creation of reserves a constitutional and fiscal problem as well as an operational one.
Notable Point · 32:41-33:43
Why Parliament kept Britain's peacetime army small
Political distrust of standing armies, reliance on the Royal Navy, colonial commitments, and competition to cut expenditure kept Britain's regular army small.