The policy of building up the most powerful armed forces to prepare for war is known as what?

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

Answer: (C)

Militarism is the policy of building up a nation's armed forces to prepare for war. This approach means governments invest heavily in armies, navies, and mobilization plans, and they often promote the idea that military strength guarantees security and national prestige. Because of that, rival nations push to match or outdo each other, fueling an arms race and making war feel more plausible or even likely. In the years before World War I, militarism helped push Europe toward conflict as countries expanded fleets and armies and rehearsed mobilization in case of crisis. This emphasis on military power explains why war could seem inevitable rather than settled through diplomacy. The other ideas describe related but different tendencies: nationalism is pride in one's country, imperialism is expanding control over other lands, and isolationism is staying out of foreign affairs.