First standing army

Organized warfare began around 3000 BCE and, by about 2250BCE, the Sargon of Agade – the first great conqueror of the Sumerian cities of Mesopotamia - is generally believed to have formed the first standing (permanent) army of some 100,000 soldiers.  With it, the Assyrians went on to form an enormous empire – the first military power in history - for that period encompassing most of Mesopotamia.  The army had a well-developed chain of command and specialised units such as cavalry and bowmen.  As with most empires, its multi-national nature and overstretched resources proved to much for it to control, and a series of uprisings caused its collapse in around 612BCE.