Britain’s Army at Home

Britain’s domestic use of military forces in non-combat roles, today known as military assistance to civil authorities, has evolved path dependently, over the longue durée, alongside its domestic security institutions and legal precedents. Viewed wholistically, this evolution can be described as parabolic. The military’s domestic role reached its apogee early, during Oliver Cromwell’s dictator-ship in 1655– 1657, when he divided civil authority between 15 major-generals. For the next two centuries, civilian leaders rolled back the military’s domestic prerogatives. By the 20th century, however, memories of 17th century abuses had faded such that the military again came to be regarded by politicians as a solution to emerging problems. The Emergency Powers Act, 1920 thus provided for the military’s use during strikes, and the Army and Navy later assumed new policing roles in the 1970s