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Members of Italy's Gendarmerie, the Carabinieri, patrolling in Florence
Members of Italy's Gendarmerie, the Carabinieri, patrolling in Florence

A gendarmerie or gendarmery (pronounced /dʒɛnˈdɑrməriː/, or /ˌʒɑndɑrməˈriː/ after the French) is a military body charged with police duties among civilian populations. The Carabinieri (Italian for Carabiniers are the national-level Gendarmerie of Italy who also perform Military police duties Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force The members of such a body are called gendarmes. The term maréchaussée (or marshalcy) can also be used (e. Marshal (also sometimes spelled marshall in American English, but not in British English) is a word used in several official titles of various branches g. Royal Marechaussee) but is now uncommon, except in the Netherlands. Royal Marechaussee, in Dutch Koninklijke Marechaussee, abbreviated to KMar (English direct translation is Royal Marshals but is often translated

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Etymology

The word gendarme comes from Old French gens d'armes, meaning men-at-arms. Old French was the Romance Dialect continuum spoken in territories which span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium Man-at-arms (also called armsman or coistrel) was a medieval term for a Soldier, almost always a professional Historically, during the Late Medieval to the Early Modern period, the term referred to a heavily armoured cavalryman of noble birth, primarily serving in the French army (see:Gendarme (historical)). The Late Middle Ages is a term used by historians to describe European history in the period of the 14th and 15th centuries (AD 1300–1499 The early modern period is a term initially used by historians to refer mainly to the period roughly from 1500 to 1800 in Western Europe ( Early modern Europe) A gendarme was a heavy Cavalryman of noble birth primarily serving in the French army from the Late Medieval to the Early Modern The word gained policing connotations after the French Revolution when the Maréchaussée of the Ancien Regime was renamed the Gendarmerie. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an Ancien Régime ( pronounced: /ɑ̃sjɛ̃ ʁeʒim/ refers primarily to the aristocratic social and political system established in Before this, a gendarmerie was known as a maréchaussée (marshalcy). Marshal (also sometimes spelled marshall in American English, but not in British English) is a word used in several official titles of various branches

In the United Kingdom, there is a body called Her Majesty's Bodyguard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Her Majesty's Bodyguard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms is a bodyguard to the British Monarch. Gentlemen at Arms is in fact a near etymological equivalent to the term gendarme. This body is, however, purely ceremonial and is not considered a gendarmerie.

Historically the spelling in English is gendarmery, but the French spelling gendarmerie is now more common. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) still uses gendarmery as the principal spelling while Merriam-Webster uses gendarmerie as the principal spelling. The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED) published by the Oxford University Press (OUP is a comprehensive Dictionary of the English Merriam-Webster, which was originally the G & C Merriam Company of Springfield Massachusetts, is an American company that publishes reference books

Title and status

Gendarmes in Paris.
Gendarmes in Paris. See Gendarmerie for similar forces in other countries In France, the National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale is the national Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city

These forces are normally titled "gendarmerie", but gendarmeries may bear other titles, for instance Carabiniers in Italy and Chile, or Guardia Civil in Spain. For the device used to connect ropes see Carabiner A Carabinier (also sometimes spelled Carabineer or Carbineer) ( Carabinero Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the The Civil Guard ( Guardia Civil) is the Spanish Gendarmerie. It has both military and civilian functions Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

Some forces which are no longer considered military retain the title "gendarmerie" for reasons of tradition. For instance, the French language title of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is Gendarmerie royale du Canada (GRC) (i. e. Royal Gendarmerie of Canada) because it was traditionally a military force (although not part of the army) and because it retains the honorific status of a military force. The Argentine Gendarmerie is a military force (in terms of training, identity and public perception, and it was involved in combat in the Falklands War), but for legal purposes is a "security force", not an "armed force", because this is necessary under Argentine law in order to allow jurisdiction over the civilian population. The Argentine National Gendarmerie ( Gendarmería Nacional Argentina; GNA) is the Gendarmerie and corps of border guards of Argentina The Falklands War (Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur also called the Falklands Conflict/Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the

Since every country uses institutional terms such as "gendarmerie" as it wishes, there are cases in which the term may become confusing. For instance, the Swiss cantonal "gendarmeries" are not military, and are in fact the uniformed police of French-speaking cantons. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the states of the Federal state of Switzerland. In Chile, confusingly, the word "gendarmerie" can for historic reasons be used to refer to the prison service, while as previously mentioned the actual gendarmerie force is called the "carabineros".

As a result of their duties within the civilian population, gendarmeries are sometimes described as "para-military" rather than "military" forces (essentially in the English-speaking world where policing is rarely associated with military forces) although this description rarely corresponds to their official status and capabilities. A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force but which are not regarded as having the same status A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking Gendarmes are often deployed in military situations, sometimes in their own country, and often in humanitarian deployments abroad.

A gendarmerie may come under the authority of a ministry of defence (e. g. Italy or France) or a ministry of the interior (e. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. g. Argentina and Romania), or even both at once (e. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania g. Chile and Italy). Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Generally there is some coordination between a ministry of defence and a ministry of the interior over the use of gendarmes.

Serbian gendarmerie
Serbian gendarmerie

Gendarmeries are police services, but in many countries (e. g. France) the word "police" normally implies civilian police. Gendarmeries are military police, however the term "military police" can be misleading, since in English it carries strong implications of policing within the military ("provost" policing), which is not the basic purpose of a gendarmerie (although in many countries it is a task which gendarmes carry out). Military police ( MPs) are normally the Police of a Military Organization. Provosts are Military police whose duties are policing solely within the Armed Forces as opposed to Gendarmerie duties in the civilian population In countries where the gendarmerie and civilian police co-exist there may exist rivalries and tensions between the forces. There may also be different reputations, with the gendarmeries generally having a better reputation than civilian police.

In some cases, a police service's military links are ambiguous and it can be unclear whether a force should be defined as a gendarmerie or not, (e. g. Mexico's Policia Federal Preventiva, Brazilian Polícia Militar, or the former South African Police until 1994). The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Federal Preventive Police ( Spanish Policía Federal Preventiva) or PFP, is the uniformed Federal police force of Mexico |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld For the apartheid-era police force see South African Police. The South African Police Service is the national Police force of the Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Services such as the Italian Guardia di Finanza would not normally be defined as a gendarmerie (but at times might be) since the service is both of ambiguous military status and does not have general policing duties in the civilian population. The Guardia di Finanza, (/ˈgwardja di fiˈnantsa/ (Financial Guard is an Italian Police force under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance In Russia, the Interior Troops are military units with quasi-police duties. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Internal Troops, full name Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs (MVD ( Russian: Внутренние войска Министерства

A vedette of the French Maritime Gendarmerie in La Rochelle harbour.
A vedette of the French Maritime Gendarmerie in La Rochelle harbour. The Maritime Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Maritime is a component of French gendarmerie under operational control of the chief of staff of the French Navy. La Rochelle is a city in western France, and a Seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean.

In comparison to civilian police forces, gendarmeries may provide a more disciplined force whose military capabilities (e. g. armored group in France with armored personnel carriers and heavy armoured cars with 90 mm cannons) make them more capable of dealing with armed groups and with all types of violence. The Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé or VAB ("Armoured Vanguard Vehicle" in French) is an Armoured personnel carrier designed by the Euro Mobilité The Panhard ERC 90 Sagaie ( E ngin de R econnaissance à C anon de 90 mm On the other hand, the necessity of a more stringent selection process for military service, especially in terms of physical prowess and health, restricts the pool of potential recruits in comparison to those a civilian police force could select from.

Gendarmeries may also provide various military or police services. For instance in France, the gendarmerie is in charge of crowd and riot control (Gendarmerie Mobile), counter-terrorism and hostage rescue (GIGN and EPIGN), maritime surveillance, police at sea and coast guard (Gendarmerie maritime), control and security at airports and air traffic police (Gendarmerie des transports aériens), official buildings guard, honorary services and protection of the President (Garde Républicaine), mountain rescue (Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne) and security of nuclear weapons sites. The Mobile Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Mobile is a subdivision of the French Gendarmerie. The National Gendarmerie Intervention Group, commonly abbreviated GIGN (Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale is the French Gendarmerie 's Elite The Parachute Intervention Squadron of the National Gendarmerie (Escadron Parachutiste d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale (EPIGN is the parachute-trained intervention squadron The Maritime Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Maritime is a component of French gendarmerie under operational control of the chief of staff of the French Navy. The President of the French Republic (Président de la République française colloquially referred to in English as the President of France, is France 's elected The Republican Guard (Garde républicaine is the Ceremonial unit of the French Gendarmerie. A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion.

Role in modern conflict

Gendarmes play an important role re-establishing law and order in conflict areas, a task which is suited to their purpose, training and capabilities. Gendarmeries are widely used in peacekeeping operations, for instance in the former Yugoslavia. See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian

French influence

French Gendarmerie on parade: Republican Guard cavalry
French Gendarmerie on parade: Republican Guard cavalry

The use of military organisations to police civilian populations is common to many time periods and cultures. Although it cannot be considered a French concept, the French gendarmerie has been the most influential model of such an organisation.

Many countries that were once under French influence have a gendarmerie. For instance, both Belgium and Austria had gendarmeries through Napoleonic influence, but both these gendarmeries, have merged with the civil police, in 2001 and 2005 respectively. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Many former French colonies, especially in Africa, also have gendarmeries.

A common gendarmerie symbol is a flaming grenade, which was first used as a gendarmerie symbol by the French.

List of gendarmeries

     Countries with a gendarmerie      Countries that formerly had a gendarmerie
     Countries with a gendarmerie      Countries that formerly had a gendarmerie

List of modern gendarmeries

The coat of arms of the Italian Carabinieri, a classic example of a gendarmerie force.
The coat of arms of the Italian Carabinieri, a classic example of a gendarmerie force. A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Carabinieri (Italian for Carabiniers are the national-level Gendarmerie of Italy who also perform Military police duties

Plus

List of former gendarmeries

See also

The Palestine Mandate, was a set of protocols or articles that formed a multilateral legal and administrative agreement The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP The Philippine Constabulary (PC ( Filipino: Konstabularyo ng Pilipinas) ( KP) was the oldest of the four service commands of the The Philippine National Police ( PNP) ( Filipino: Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas) is the National police force of the Republic of the Philippines The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Special Corps of Gendarmes (Отдельный корпус жандармов was the uniformed Security police of the Russian Empire in the 19th and early 20th The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( The United States Constabulary was a United States Army military Gendarmerie force The Indian Territory, also known as The Indian Country, The Indian territory or the Indian territories, was land set aside within the United States Lighthorse (or Light Horse) was the name given by the Five Civilized Tribes of the United States to their mounted police force Military aid to the civil power (MACP (sometimes to the Civil Authorities) is assistance by the armed forces to the police in maintaining law and order A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force but which are not regarded as having the same status Military police ( MPs) are normally the Police of a Military Organization. Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force For the National Guard of a State and other countries' National Guard see National Guard. Constabulary may have several definitions A civil non-paramilitary Police force consisting of police officers called Constables This is the usual The People's Armed Police Force ( Abbreviation: PAP; Simplified Chinese: 中国人民武装警察部队 Traditional Chinese: 中國人民武裝警察部隊 Internal Troops, full name Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs (MVD ( Russian: Внутренние войска Министерства FIEP (for France - Italia - España - Portugal, the first four members is an association of national Gendarmeries or affiliate

Dictionary

gendarmerie

-noun

  1. A military body charged with police duties among the civilian population
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