Paramilitary: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 01:01, 1 March 2026

Legion of Frontiersmen, Edmonton Command, 1915 – a nationalist paramilitary group not officially affiliated with the Canadian Army

A paramilitary is a force or unit that functions and is organized in a manner analogous to a military force, but does not have professional or legitimate status.^[1] The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934.^[2] It has been used by many different Political organizations.^[3] Paramilitaries have widely been synonymous with violence, political repression, ethnic cleansing, genocide and crimes against humanity.^[4] Paramilitaries may use combat-capable kit/equipment (such as internal security/SWAT vehicles), or even actual military equipment (such as armored personnel carriers;^{[citation needed]} usually military surplus resources) that are compatible with their purpose, often combining them with skills from other relevant fields such as law enforcement, coast guard, or search and rescue.^{[citation needed]} A paramilitary may fall under the command of a military, train alongside them, or have permission to use their resources, despite not actually being part of them.^[5]

Legality[edit | edit source]

Under the law of war, a state may incorporate a paramilitary organization or armed agency (such as a law enforcement agency or a private volunteer militia) into its combatant armed forces. Some countries' constitutions prohibit paramilitary organizations outside government use.

Types[edit | edit source]

A group of the "Forest Brothers" in central Estonia meeting with a German unit in 1941

The Steel Shirts copying the Nazi salute during its rally in Syria

Depending on the definition adopted, "paramilitaries" may include:

Military organizations[edit | edit source]

Private military contractors and mercenaries
Irregular military forces, such as militias, partisans, resistance movements, freedom fighters, rebel groups, liberation armies, guerrilla armies, militants, insurgents, and terrorist groups.
State-parallel armed groups such as the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces and the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces ^[6]

Law enforcement[edit | edit source]

Semi-militarized law enforcement units within civilian police, such as police tactical units, SWAT, Emergency Service Units, and incident response teams
Gendarmeries, such as the French National Gendarmerie, Chinese People's Armed Police, Dutch Royal Marechaussee, Egyptian Central Security Forces, European EUROGENDFOR, Turkic TAKM, and Chilean Carabineros de Chile
Border guards, such as the U.S. Border Patrol, Australian Border Force, Indian Border Security Force, Bangladeshi Border Guard Bangladesh, and Turkish village guards
Security forces of ambiguous military status, such as internal troops, railroad guard corps, and railway troops
Branches of government agencies such as intelligence agencies tasked with law enforcement, tactical support, or security operations, such as the Central Intelligence Agency's Special Activities Center and Global Response Staff, or the U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Protective Forces

Civil defense[edit | edit source]

Political[edit | edit source]

Armed, semi-militarized wings of political parties and similar political organizations, such as the German Sturmabteilung and Italian Blackshirts.

Examples of paramilitary units[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

↑ "paramilitary". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. June 2011 [online edition; original published in June 2005]. Retrieved 2011-09-13. Designating, of, or relating to a force or unit whose function and organization are analogous or ancillary to those of a professional military force, but which is not regarded as having professional or legitimate status.
↑ Template:Oed
↑ Doxsee, Catrina (August 12, 2025). "Examining Extremism: The Militia Movement". Center for Strategic and International Studies.
↑ Dasgputa, Sunil (April 6, 2003). "Paramilitaries on the March". Brookings.
↑ Böhmelt, Tobias; Clayton, Govinda (February 2018). "Auxiliary Force Structure: Paramilitary Forces and Progovernment Militias". Comparative Political Studies. 51 (2): 197–237. doi:10.1177/0010414017699204. hdl:10654/38817. ISSN 0010-4140.
↑ Aliyev, Huseyn (2016). "Strong militias, weak states and armed violence: towards a theory of 'state-parallel' paramilitaries" (PDF). Security Dialogue. 47 (6): 498–516. doi:10.1177/0967010616669900.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Short description|An organization similar to, but not part of, a military}}
+{{Short description|Organization similar to, but not part of, a military}}
-{{Distinguish|Paratrooper|Private army}}{{More citations needed|date=October 2022}}
+{{Distinguish|Paratrooper|Private army}}
+{{for|the 1993 supplement for the role-playing game ''Paranoia''|Paramilitary (Paranoia){{!}}''Paramilitary (Paranoia)''}}
+{{More citations needed|date=October 2022}}
 [[File:Nd-3-105 LoF Edmonton 1915.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Legion of Frontiersmen]], Edmonton Command, 1915 – a nationalist paramilitary group not officially affiliated with the [[Canadian Army]]]]
-A '''paramilitary''' is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional [[military]], but which is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces.<ref name="Reference-OED-paramilitary">{{cite book |chapter=paramilitary |title=Oxford English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |edition=3rd |orig-year=online edition; original published in June 2005 |date= June 2011 |chapter-url=http://oed.com/search?searchType=dictionary&q=paramilitary |access-date=2011-09-13 |quote=Designating, of, or relating to a force or unit whose function and organization are analogous or ancillary to those of a professional military force, but which is not D regarded as having professional or legitimate status. |title-link=Oxford English Dictionary}}</ref> Paramilitary units carry out duties that a country's military or [[police forces]] are unable or unwilling to handle. Other organizations may be considered paramilitaries by structure alone, despite being unarmed or lacking a combat role.
+A '''paramilitary''' is a force or unit that functions and is organized in a manner analogous to a military force, but does not have professional or legitimate status.<ref name="Reference-OED-paramilitary">{{cite book |chapter=paramilitary |title=Oxford English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |edition=3rd |orig-year=online edition; original published in June 2005 |date= June 2011 |chapter-url=http://oed.com/search?searchType=dictionary&q=paramilitary |access-date=2011-09-13 |quote= Designating, of, or relating to a force or unit whose function and organization are analogous or ancillary to those of a professional military force, but which is not regarded as having professional or legitimate status. |title-link=Oxford English Dictionary}}</ref>  The [[Oxford English Dictionary]] traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934.<ref>
+{{oed | paramilitary}}
-== Overview ==
+</ref> It has been used by many different [[Political organizations]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Doxsee |first=Catrina |date=August 12, 2025 |title=Examining Extremism: The Militia Movement |url=https://www.csis.org/blogs/examining-extremism/examining-extremism-militia-movement |journal=Center for Strategic and International Studies}}</ref> Paramilitaries have widely been synonymous with [[violence]], [[political repression]], [[ethnic cleansing]], [[ genocide]] and [[crimes against humanity]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dasgputa |first=Sunil |date=April 6, 2003 |title=Paramilitaries on the March |url=https://www.brookings.edu/articles/paramilitaries-on-the-march/ |journal=Brookings}}</ref> Paramilitaries may use combat-capable kit/equipment (such as [[Internal security vehicle|internal security]]/[[SWAT vehicle|SWAT vehicles]]), or even actual military equipment (such as [[Armoured personnel carrier|armored personnel carriers]];{{cn|date=July 2025}} usually [[military surplus]] resources) that are compatible with their purpose, often combining them with skills from other relevant fields such as [[law enforcement]], [[coast guard]], or [[search and rescue]].{{cn|date=July 2025}} A paramilitary may fall under the command of a [[military]], train alongside them, or have permission to use their resources, despite not actually being part of them.<ref name="BohmeltClayton2018">{{Cite journal |last=Böhmelt |first=Tobias |last2=Clayton |first2=Govinda |date=February 2018 |title=Auxiliary Force Structure: Paramilitary Forces and Progovernment Militias |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0010414017699204 |journal=Comparative Political Studies |language=en |volume=51 |issue=2 |pages=197–237 |doi=10.1177/0010414017699204 |issn=0010-4140|hdl=10654/38817 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
-Though a paramilitary is, by definition, not a military, it is usually equivalent to a [[special forces]] or [[commando]] in terms of strength, firepower, and organizational structure.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-15 |title=Wider conflict feared as Sudan's army and rival paramilitary force clash in capital |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/wider-conflict-feared-as-sudans-army-and-rival-paramilitary-force-clash-in-capital |access-date=2023-07-28 |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us}}</ref> Paramilitaries use "military" equipment (such as [[Long gun|long guns]] and [[Armoured personnel carrier|armored personnel carriers]]; usually [[military surplus]] resources), skills (such as [[battlefield medicine]] and [[bomb disposal]]), and tactics (such as [[urban warfare]] and [[close-quarters combat]]) that are compatible with their purpose, often combining them with skills from other relevant fields such as [[law enforcement]] or [[search and rescue]]. They rarely use extensive military equipment such as [[artillery]] and armed [[military aircraft]].
-In peacetime, paramilitaries are often assigned to protect high-profile sites, such as government facilities, [[Critical infrastructure|infrastructure]], [[Airport|airports]], [[Port|seaports]], or [[Border checkpoint|borders]]. They may also be tasked with roles of [[Very important person|VIP]] [[Executive protection|protection]] or [[counterterrorism]]. Depending on the organization the paramilitary operates under, they may also be reassigned until they are needed again; for example, members of a [[police tactical unit]] may be assigned to standard [[Patrol#Law enforcement|patrol]] duties until requested.
-A paramilitary may fall under the command of a military, train alongside them, or have permission to use their resources, despite not actually being part of them. In some instances, paramilitaries may train members of an actual military in tactics they specialize in, such as [[arrest]] procedures.
 == Legality ==
-Under the [[law of war]], a state may incorporate a paramilitary organization or armed agency (such as a [[law enforcement agency]] or a private volunteer [[militia]]) into its [[combatant]] armed forces. The other parties to a conflict have to be notified thereof.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v2_rul_rule4_sectionb |title=Customary IHL - Section B. Incorporation of paramilitary or armed law enforcement agencies into armed forces |publisher=Icrc.org |access-date=2013-07-27}}</ref>
+Under the [[law of war]], a state may incorporate a paramilitary organization or armed agency (such as a [[law enforcement agency]] or a private volunteer [[militia]]) into its [[combatant]] armed forces. Some countries' constitutions [[List of countries that prohibit paramilitary organizations outside government armed forces|prohibit paramilitary organizations outside government use]].
-Some countries' constitutions limit freedom of association by [[List of countries that prohibit paramilitary organizations outside government armed forces|prohibiting paramilitary organizations outside government use]]. In most cases, there is no definition of paramilitary, and court decisions are responsible for defining that concept.
 == Types ==
+[[File:Metsavendade salk Kesk-Eestis kohtumisel Saksa väeosaga.jpg|thumb|A group of the "[[Forest Brothers]]" in central [[Estonia]] meeting with a German unit in 1941]]
+[[File:The Steel Shirts copying the Nazi salute during its rally in Syria, 1936.jpg|thumb|The Steel Shirts copying the [[Nazi salute]] during its rally in [[Syria]]]]
 Depending on the definition adopted, "paramilitaries" may include:
 === Military organizations ===
-* The [[Auxiliaries|auxiliary forces]] of a state's military or government, [[military reserve forces]], such as [[national guard]], [[Presidential Guard (disambiguation)|presidential guard]], [[republican guard]], [[state defense force]], [[home guard]], [[civil guard]], [[imperial guard]], and [[royal guard]] forces
 * [[Private military contractors]] and [[mercenaries]]
-* [[Irregular military]] forces, such as [[militias]], [[partisan (military)|partisans]], [[resistance movements]], [[freedom fighter]]s, [[rebel groups]], [[liberation armies]], [[guerilla armies]], [[militants]], [[insurgents]], and [[terrorist groups]]
+* [[Irregular military]] forces, such as [[militias]], [[partisan (military)|partisans]], [[resistance movements]], [[freedom fighter|freedom fighters]], [[rebel groups]], [[liberation armies]], [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla armies]], [[militants]], [[insurgents]], and [[terrorist groups]].
+* State-parallel armed groups such as the Sudanese [[Rapid Support Forces]] and the Iraqi [[Popular Mobilization Forces]] <ref>{{Cite journal |last=Aliyev |first=Huseyn |date=2016 |title=Strong militias, weak states and armed violence: towards a theory of 'state-parallel' paramilitaries |url=https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/151638/2/151638.pdf |journal=Security Dialogue |volume=47 |issue=6 |pages=498–516 |doi=10.1177/0967010616669900 }}</ref>
 === Law enforcement ===
 * Semi-militarized law enforcement units within civilian police, such as [[Police tactical unit|police tactical units]], [[SWAT]], [[Emergency Service Unit|Emergency Service Units]], and [[Incident response team|incident response teams]]
-* [[Gendarmerie]]s, such as the Dutch [[Royal Marechaussee]], Egyptian [[Central Security Forces]], European [[European Gendarmerie Force|EUROGENDFOR]], Turkic [[TAKM]], and Chilean [[Carabineros de Chile]]
+* [[Gendarmerie]]s, such as the French [[National Gendarmerie]], Chinese [[People's Armed Police]], Dutch [[Royal Marechaussee]], Egyptian [[Central Security Forces]], European [[European Gendarmerie Force|EUROGENDFOR]], Turkic [[TAKM]], and Chilean [[Carabineros de Chile]]
-* [[Border guard]]s, such as the [[Australian Border Force]], Indian [[Border Security Force]], Bangladeshi [[Border Guards Bangladesh]], and Turkish [[Village guard system|village guards]]
+* [[Border guard|Border guards]], such as the [[United States Border Patrol|U.S. Border Patrol]], [[Australian Border Force]], Indian [[Border Security Force]], [[Bangladeshis|Bangladeshi]] [[Border Guard Bangladesh]], and Turkish [[Village guard system|village guards]]
-* [[Security forces]] of ambiguous military status, such as [[Internal Troops|internal troops]], [[Railroad Guard Corps|railroad guard corps]], and [[railway troops]]
+* [[Security forces]] of ambiguous military status, such as [[Internal Troops|internal troops]], [[Railroad Guards (disambiguation)|railroad guard corps]], and [[railway troops]]
-* Branches of [[intelligence agency]] tasked with law enforcement or security operations:
+* Branches of [[Government agency|government agencies]] such as [[intelligence agency|intelligence agencies]] tasked with law enforcement, tactical support, or security operations, such as the [[Central Intelligence Agency]]'s [[Special Activities Center]] and [[Counterterrorism Mission Center|Global Response Staff]], or the [[United States Department of Energy|U.S. Department of Energy]]'s [[Federal Protective Forces]]
-** [[CIA]] [[Special Activities Center]] Special Operations Group and [[Counterterrorism Mission Center|Global Response Staff]]
-** Tactical federal agency branches of the American [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]], [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]], [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives|ATF]], and [[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement|ICE]], among other [[List of federal agencies in the United States|federal agencies]]
-** [[Federal Protective Forces]]
-** [[NASA]] Emergency Response Teams
 === Civil defense ===
-* [[Civil defense]]
-* [[Fire department|Fire departments]] in many countries are often organized like paramilitaries despite being unarmed
-* [[Ambulance service]]
-* [[Belgian Civil Protection]]
-* [[Singapore Civil Defence Force]]
-* Australian [[State Emergency Service]]
-* Ukrainian [[State Emergency Service of Ukraine|State Emergency Service]]
 * [[Lithuanian Riflemen's Union]]
+* [[Militia (China)|Chinese Militia]]
+* [[SSB (militia)|SSB]]
 === Political ===
-* Armed, semi-militarized wings of existing [[political party|political parties]]:
+* Armed, semi-militarized wings of [[political party|political parties]] and similar political organizations, such as the German [[Sturmabteilung]] and Italian [[Blackshirts]].
-** the [[Italian Fascist Party]]'s [[Voluntary Militia for National Security]], and [[Black Brigades]]
-** [[Weimar paramilitary groups]], belonging to political parties in the [[Weimar Republic]]:
-*** the [[Nazi Party#Paramilitary groups|Nazi Party's paramilitary groups]]: [[NSFK]], [[National Socialist Motor Corps|NSKK]], [[Sturmabteilung|SA]], and [[SS]]
-*** the [[Monarchism|Monarchist]] [[German National People's Party]]'s ''[[Der Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten|Der Stahlhelm]]''
-*** the [[Communist Party of Germany]]'s ''Parteiselbstschutz''
-** Northern Irish paramilitary groups during the [[Troubles]]
-*** [[Sinn Féin]]'s [[Irish Republican Army]]
-*** [[Democratic Unionist Party|DUP]]'s [[Ulster Volunteer Force]]
-** [[Hamas]]' [[Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades]]
-** [[African National Congress]]' [[UMkhonto we Sizwe]]
 == Examples of paramilitary units ==
-{{Main list|List of paramilitary organizations|List of defunct paramilitary organizations}}
+{{Main article|List of paramilitary organizations|List of defunct paramilitary organizations
+}}
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 == See also ==
-{{Portal|War}}
 * [[:Category:Rebel militia groups]]
+* [[Militia]]
 * [[International Association of Gendarmeries and Police Forces with Military Status]]
 * [[List of Serbian paramilitary formations]]
@@ Line 87: / Line 65: @@
 * [[Military urbanism]]
 * [[Private army]]
+* [[Fascist paramilitary]]
 * [[Guerrilla warfare]]
 * [[List of countries by number of military and paramilitary personnel]]
 * [[List of paramilitary organizations]]
+* [[Bangladesh Ansar]]
+* [[Border Security Force]]
 == References ==
@@ Line 95: / Line 76: @@
 == Further reading ==
+{{Wiktionary}}
+{{Commons category|Paramilitary organizations}}
 * Golkar, Saeid. (2012) [http://afs.sagepub.com/content/38/4/625.abstract Paramilitarization of the Economy: the Case of Iran's Basij Militia], [[Armed Forces & Society]], Vol. 38, No. 4
 * Golkar, Saeid. (2012). Organization of the Oppressed or Organization for Oppressing: Analysing the Role of the Basij Militia of Iran. Politics, Religion & Ideology, Dec., 37–41. doi:10.1080/21567689.2012.725661
 * {{cite book |last1=Üngör |first1=Uğur Ümit |author-link=Uğur Ümit Üngör |title=Paramilitarism: Mass Violence in the Shadow of the State |date=2020 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-882524-1 |language=en}}
-== External links ==
-{{Wiktionary}}
-{{Commons category|Paramilitary organizations}}
 {{Authority control}}
+[[Category:Paramilitary| ]]
 [[Category:Civil–military relations]]
-[[Category:Paramilitary| ]]
 [[Category:Paramilitary organizations| ]]
 [[Category:Military terminology]]
 [[Category:Private security industry]]