What term describes the policy of building up armed forces and using military power to achieve national goals?

• A. Alliances
• B. Militarism
• C. Imperialism
• D. Nationalism

Answer: (B)

Militarism describes building up armed forces and using military power to achieve national goals. It means expanding armies and navies, investing in weapons and technology, and treating war as a legitimate instrument of policy rather than relying solely on diplomacy. This helps explain why nations in certain eras pursued arms races and rapid mobilization to influence international outcomes. It differs from alliances (security partnerships), imperialism (expanding control over other lands), and nationalism (pride in the nation); militarism is specifically about making the military central to pursuing a country's aims.