Start with the armed forces of several countries and infer which history, geography, resources, and social assumptions could have produced them. Test those inferences against the country rather than assuming that the visible structure must be natural or efficient. If the fit is poor, look for a close ally being copied or a specialized role assigned by an alliance. The British Army of the Rhine demonstrates how a force structure can make sense within a Cold War NATO commitment while leaving other national requirements underfunded.
Notable Point · 1:41:19-1:43:29
Reverse-engineer a country's force structure
A closing exercise asks viewers to infer a state's cultural drivers from its forces, then explain mismatches through alliance roles or imitation.