David Cameron could be 'guilty man' of history if he fails to protect UK, ex-military chiefs warn Army numbers alone will be cut to 82,000, their lowest since the Napoleonic Wars. The UKNDA report, a National Debate on Defence, warned no matter how well politicians do in other areas, such as financial recovery, "they will never be forgiven if they fail the nation over matters of defence." Baldwin and Chamberlain were among a series of leading figures who were dubbed "guilty men" in 1940 for having failed to adequately equip the British forces to stand up to dictators like Hitler. The UKDNA, a campaigning body which includes former military leaders, said Mr Cameron and his Cabinet now risk becoming tomorrow guilty men unless they halt the cuts. The report warned the world was increasingly unstable with countries such as Russia and China expanding their military forces, the Middle East more volatile than ever, piracy on the increase and America reducing its commitments in Europe. Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Graydon, the former Chief of the Air Staff and one of the report's authors, said: "Whatever happens will not be foreseen. It will be a surprise. It always has been and always will be. That is the strongest possible argument for remaining flexible and balanced in our armed forces. The report said Britain's security has been "seriously compromised" by the spending plans and called for a public debate on the "potentially disastrous disarmament programme." "Any other course would be illogical, dangerous and ultimately self-defeating," historian Andrew Roberts warned in the foreword. Others who contributed to the report included former Bosnia commander General Sir Michael Rose and Vice Admiral Sir Jeremy Blackham, a former deputy chief of the defence staff. Co-author, Air Commodore Lambert said the effects of the cuts would be the "slow but inevitable decline in to irrelevancy" for the UK's standing on the world stage. He warned as the country's reputation fell it would face having to fight more wars. And as Argentina continues to step up its rhetoric over the Falklands, he added: "One of the reasons that the Argentinians took us on in 1982 was because we looked weak. Were that situation to occur again then the opportunities (for another conflict) are there.