NATIONAL DEFENSE

National Defense

Abstract

The paper explores the topic of National Defense in the ancient times. Particularly it focuses on the 'Great Wall of China' that was built by the Chinese Emperors to protect its nation from the attacks of northern nomadic and maintain peace. The paper examines the reasons that led the Emperors choose this particular defensive method of constructing a wall. Further in the paper, other national defense methods used by the other tribes and countries are explored and compared with the Great Wall of China, that what made them built the wall

National defense

Introduction

The national defense of a nation refers to the measure taken by the army of the country to protect the nation from its potential enemies. All the major countries around the world have various national defense strategies. The Military of a country seeks to understand and develop the National Defense Management structure to protect the nation in any way possible. A country may establish various forces to ensure the peace in the country, such as army, navy and air force. Looking back in to the history, there were many battles and wars that were fought. They designed their own defense system depending on their different demographics and geographical conditions. The most common defense systems that have been seen in the ancient times are building forts, making trenches and ditches, and building walls. These were the first line of their defense from their enemies. Several feet deep depression made in the ground is known as a Trench. Trenches are usually much deeper than they are wide in length.

Discussion

Origin of Great Wall of China

Throughout the history it is witnessed that countries have sketched the territorial borders in order to protect the people of the country. In china it has been a tradition to build walls to ensure the security (Henzel, 2011). These walls also marked the boundaries between lands belonging to different people. Thousands of years ago, China was not a single country. There were many small kingdoms within the country. ( Nathan and Robert, 1997) Each king wanted to ensure the security of its land from the other kingdoms. Thus, they all adopted the strategy of building walls for the national defense. This time period was back in the eighth century.

Great Wall of China Structure

Several walls were built over time that were connected and turned out to be the Great Wall of China. It took around two thousand years to build the wall; made purely by hands and it is 4,500 miles long and stretches to the north border of China. It is about twenty or thirty feet high and fifteen feet wide. It was not built in a straight line as they believed that northern nomadics may be able to climb up the wall if it were straight. Thus, they constructed the wall in crocked lines having bends and turns. Many historians say that it looks like a sleeping dragon, as it is a national symol of China (Underhill, ...