What is protecting Civil Liberties?

When looking to protect civil liberties you need to understand what those liberties are. As stated by many, Civil Liberties are Fundamental individual rights, such as freedom of speech and religion, protected by law against unwarranted governmental or other interference. Are there other civil liberties, if so is there a way to define them that generalizes them and doesn't just offer examples? If the only two civil liberties are essentially freedoms of expression then all the government needs to do is not oppress it's citizens and protect them from other nations. The only duty of the government is to maintain an army and defend its nation. Could a negative argument be that one strong unified military works better than fifty small and unorganized militaries?