Military academies are precisely the institutions you need for any nation eager to train the best and brightest future military leaders. For this reason, military academies are sometimes as old, if not older, than many nations. This includes the United States, where its famous West Point is just a few years older than the country’s founding.
Are Military Academies Good for Officers?
Generally speaking, yes, officers are essentially forged at military academies. These days, it isn’t quite the same as it was centuries ago when these institutions were gaining their footing. However, for those looking to make the military a career, this is a fine way of getting the leadership training needed.
Are Military Academies Necessary?
Military training has changed considerably since the establishment of the first military academy in the 17th century. As such, it becomes more a matter of prestige and tradition rather than something of a necessity. You can quickly become an officer in the United States military through the ROTC programs offered at many colleges.
25. Bundeswehr Command and Staff College, Germany
- Military PowerIndex score of Germany: 0.3881
- Founded: 1957
- Location: Hamburg, Germany
- Notable alumni: Raza Muhammad, Leanne van den Hoek, Harald Sunde, Hans-Lothar Domrose
24. Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, Thailand
- Military PowerIndex score of Thailand: 0.3738
- Founded: 1887
- Location: Nakhon Nayok, Thailand
- Notable alumni: Plaek Phibunsongkhram, Sarit Thanarat, Surayud Chulanont
23. The Republic of China Military Academy, Taiwan
- Military PowerIndex score of Taiwan: 0.3639
- Founded: 1924
- Location: Fengshan District, Taiwan
- Notable alumni: Lee Shying-jow, Justin Yifu Lin
22. King Khalid Military Academy, Saudi Arabia
- Military PowerIndex score of Saudi Arabia: 0.3626
- Founded: 1965
- Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Notable alumni: Mutaib bin Abdullah, Abdulaziz al-Fagham
21. General Military Academy, Spain
- Military PowerIndex score of Spain: 0.3556
- Founded: 1882
- Location: Alcazar de Toledo, Spain
- Notable alumni: Juan Carlos I, Felipe VI
20. National Defense University of Warsaw, Poland
- Military PowerIndex score of Poland: 0.3406
- Founded: 1990
- Location: Warsaw, Poland
- Notable alumni: Roman Polko, Jaroslaw Mika, Tadeusz Buk
19. National Defense Academy of Vietnam, Vietnam
- Military PowerIndex score of Vietnam: 0.2855
- Founded: 1976
- Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
- Notable alumni: N/A
18. Israel Defense Forces’ Tactical Command College, Israel
- Military PowerIndex score of Israel: 0.2757
- Founded: 1954
- Location: Tel Aviv, Israel
- Notable alumni: N/A
17. Imam Ali Officers Academy, Iran
- Military PowerIndex score of Iran: 0.2712
- Founded: 1921
- Location: Tehran, Iran
- Notable alumni: N/A
16. The Australian Defense Force Academy, Australia
- Military PowerIndex score of Australia: 0.2567
- Founded: 1986
- Location: Canberra, Australia
- Notable alumni: Chris Field, Mark Hammond, David Kilcullen
15. Odesa Military Academy, Ukraine
- Military PowerIndex score of Ukraine: 0.2516
- Founded: 2011
- Location: Odesa, Ukraine
- Notable alumni: Oleksiy Arestovych, Leonid Maltsev, Ivan Panfilov
14. Egyptian Military Academy, Egypt
- Military PowerIndex score of Egypt: 0.2224
- Founded: 1938
- Location: Cairo, Egypt
- Notable alumni: Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Mohamed Hessein Tantawi, Gamal Abdel Nasser
13. Indonesian Military Academy, Indonesia
- Military PowerIndex score of Indonesia: 0.2221
- Founded: 1945
- Location: Magelang, Indonesia
- Notable alumni: Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Try Sutrisno, Gatot Nurmantyo
12. Military Academy of Agulhas Negras, Brazil
- Military PowerIndex score of Brazil: 0.2151
- Founded: 1792
- Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Notable alumni: Antonio Hamilton Martins Mourao, Jair Messias Bolsonaro, Deodora da Fonseca
11. Turkish Military Academy, Turkey
- Military PowerIndex score of Turkey: 0.2016
- Founded: 1834
- Location: Ankara, Turkey
- Notable alumni: Ahmet Ziya Akgulut, Hoca Ali Riza, Abdullah Atfeh
10. The Military Academy of Modena, Italy
- Military PowerIndex score of Italy: 0.1973
- Founded: 1678
- Location: Modena, Italy
- Notable alumni: Charles Cornwallis, Nicola Bellomo, Stefano Zappala
9. Special Military School of Saint-Cyr, France
- Military PowerIndex score of France: 0.1848
- Founded: 1802
- Location: Coetquidan, France
- Notable alumni: Charles de Gaulle, Francois Lecointre, Philippe Morillon
8. National Defense Academy of Japan, Japan
- Military PowerIndex score of Japan: 0.1711
- Founded: 1953
- Location: Yokosuka, Japan
- Notable alumni: Yoshifumi Hibako, Yuji Fujinawa, Toshio Tamagami
7. Pakistan Military Academy, Pakistan
- Military PowerIndex score of Pakistan: 0.1694
- Founded: 1947
- Location: Abbottabad, Pakistan
- Notable alumni: Asim Munir, Raheel Sharif, Rahimuddin Khan
6. Korea Military Academy, South Korea
- Military PowerIndex score of South Korea: 0.1505
- Founded: 1946
- Location: Seoul, South Korea
- Notable alumni: Chae Myung-shin, Kim Jong-hwan
5. RAF College Cranwell, United Kingdom
- Military PowerIndex score of United Kingdom: 0.1435
- Founded: 1919
- Location: Cranwell, United Kingdom
- Notable alumni: Prince William, King Charles III, Sir Frank Whittle
4. National Defense Academy, India
- Military PowerIndex score of India: 0.1025
- Founded: 1954
- Location: Maharashtra, India
- Notable alumni: Vijay Kumar Singh, Arun Prakash, Robin Kumar Dhowan
3. PLA National Defense University, China
- Military PowerIndex score of China: 0.0722
- Founded: 1985
- Location: Beijing, China
- Notable alumni: N/A
2. General Staff Academy, Russia
- Military PowerIndex score of Russia: 0.0714
- Founded: 1936
- Location: Moscow, Russia
- Notable alumni: Beqir Balluku, Saken Zhasuzakov, Aleksi Inauri
1. West Point, United States
- Military PowerIndex score of United States: 0.0712
- Founded: 1802
- Location: West Point, United States
- Notable alumni: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, George Patton
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Michael Ciaglo / Getty Images News via Getty Images.
