bonsai army

English

Etymology

In reference to the small size and decorative nature of bonsai plants.

Noun

bonsai army (plural bonsai armies)

1. A sovereign state's army or military force that is too small to fundamentally protect the country, and could be considered to exist merely "for decoration".

   Without Soviet support surrounding the missile crisis, Cuba's military would have been merely a bonsai army and they would have quickly succumbed to any serious invasion from the west.

2. A tiny, largely-ornamental (military) structure bereft of the capability to effectively carry out its constitutional missions.
3. A military that covers the entire spectrum of capabilities, but has virtually no external military clout.

References

• Europe’s BDS and Bonsai Armies: Is the sun setting in the West and rising east in China
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• Reshaping Cooperative Security Among Central American States