Mobilization is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word mobilization was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the Prussian Army. Mobilization theories and tactics have continuously changed since then. The opposite of mobilization is demobilization.
When king Æthelred and Alfred learnt that Vikings were in Wessex, they sent messengers to mobilize men in every village
Belgian army mobilisation papers to join a Lanciers regiment
German soldiers in a railway car on the way to the front in August 1914. The message on the car reads Von München über Metz nach Paris. (From Munich via Metz to Paris).
Photograph shows reservists and crowd at the Gare de Paris-Est, Paris during the beginning of World War I
Demobilization or demobilisation is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and military force is no longer necessary. The opposite of demobilization is mobilization, which is the act of calling up forces for active military service. Forceful demobilization of a defeated enemy is called demilitarization.
Demob papers issued to a South African sailor in February 1946
Back page of demob papers issued to a South African sailor in February 1946
