It is not only the despots that fear the population .
If you read the history of any country the armed forces were there to protect the governments/leaders from their own citizens as much as foreign invaders.
If you look at our own police forces, they do more work protecting the government and multinationals than they do to protect the citizens. When Howard followed a UN directive and disarmed the people what effect did that have on crime? NONE
Break a government law and take the law into your own hands, or kill your neighbor and see which one attracts the heaviest penalty