WI No State Armies

What if there was no move to state armies - that the private armies of the over-mighty subjects remained the method of defending a country?

Not necessarily true feudalism - the state could hire troops from their subjects as the English Kings did in the late C14th / C15th.
 
Well for one, I'd assume that mercenaries become more popular. This system can only go on so long though. Otherwise you'll end up with true feudalism or a system like the Samurai in Feudal Japan when they revolted against the Imperials and set up as Daimyo's.
 
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