The military of an Independent Quebec post-1995

[general_tiu]

What would the Quebecois Armed Forces would look like if Quebec did gain independence in 1995?

[usertron2020]

No military, beyond a small coast guard and militia for internal disturbances and disaster relief.(1)

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't Quebec the poorest province in Canada? One good reason why the Quebecois (and for that matter, the Puerto Rican people) don't VOTE for independence. They can't afford it. An interesting reverse of this is Lesotho. So supremely economically destitute that they have pleaded with South Africa to annex them. The South Africans wisely said no.

1) As like most poorer countries sitting next to big richer (friendly) countries with big militaries, they let their neighbor's own deterrence work for them as well. But expect that with an independent Quebec the waiters will probably be friendlier to American tourists.

[Corbell Mark IV]

Originally Posted by usertron2020

No military, beyond a small coast guard and militia for internal disturbances and disaster relief.(1)

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't Quebec the poorest province in Canada? One good reason why the Quebecois (and for that matter, the Puerto Rican people) don't VOTE for independence. They can't afford it. An interesting reverse of this is Lesotho. So supremely economically destitute that they have pleaded with South Africa to annex them. The South Africans wisely said no.

1)...

I didn't know this till I looked it up, but you are mostly correct. Not quite the bottom but still low.

On the other hand the spread is not that bad, and exaggerated by the oil and resource wealth of the smaller western provinces.

It's GDP is over 300 million and it's GPD per capita is 40k a year.

Hardly poor.

So it's military spending would depend on how much of an share of their security they want to contribute.

They could spend nothing and be safe as you state.

Or they could choose to have a small but well armed force designed to contribute to international peacekeeping and relief efforts.

A large force designed to deter aggression from the US or Canada is unlikely.

To unlikely to justify the huge expense.

[Straha]

Largely a token force.

So five men, a parrot and someone sitting in a life preserver.