The Military and Politics

In Western, developing, and totalitarian countries alike, the armed forces are powerful political organizations that play key roles in domestic politics. Yet, the literature on civilian-military relations provides few comparative examinations of the military's political role. In 27 chapters devoted to representative countries, this handbook looks at the varying roles the military plays around the world. Each chapter traces the historical background of the civil-military relations in the country, identifies and analyzes the processes the military uses to exert political influence, evaluates the success and results of the military's political role, and projects future developments.

This volume examines civil-military relations in general and nonmilitary functions in the service of society and democracy in particular in six different nations, against the backdrop of the Israeli experience with a dual-role military. Since its inception, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has functioned as a very effective fighting force while also fulfilling many core nonmilitary roles as a powerful, educational, and remedial agent engaged in strengthening the fabric of Israeli society. The inner workings of the IDF in this area--the subject and dynamics of its broad social agenda, including the dilemmas inherent in education toward broad intellectual autonomy within a regimented system such as the military--are presented, for the first time before a non-Israeli audience, in detail (and with much candor) by both high echelon IDF personnel and junior officers in conscript service directly responsible for carrying out these missions.

In an increasingly complex post-Cold War world system, scholars interested in conflict and conflict resolution must consider a wider collection of variables in drawing conclusions about important security issues. This compendium features 13 original essays that explore the importance of culture and identity with respect to civil-military relations, national security, and nation building. Contributors reflect upon both theoretical and substantive issues and draw from case studies representing different regions of the world.

Why has the military not intervened in the post-communist political arena since the advent of democracy in Russia? Do lowered levels of professionalism actually lead to higher levels of intervention? Through a systematic exploration of professionalism within the Russian military, this study addresses these important questions. Moran suggests that by examining the notion of subjective fragmentation, both Gorbachev and Yeltsin utilized a highly effective, yet potentially troublesome, form of civil-military control. Findings that overall levels of praetorian behavior on the part of the Russian military have declined in this period, in spite of declining levels of military professionalism, challenge one of the most basic theoretical assumptions of civil-military relations.

Relying on extensive candid interviews from members of Congress and staff on defense authorization committees and senior Army general officers, Scroggs provides an insider analysis identifying problematic patterned Army-Hill behavior and its cultural impediments. He concludes with recommendations on how the Army can become a more effective voice for its own interests and national security.

What is the impact of civil-military relations on the consolidation of democracy & the promotion of military & economic cooperation at the regional level? This volume is the first to provide a wealth of comparative experiences which demonstrates that a focus on civilian domination distorts the complexity of the civil-military relationship & does not appreciate the multiple paths to democracy & peace. Focusing on political values & institutional rules for political participation, David Mares has brought together an international cast in an accessible & valuable book for policymakers, academics, & general readers.

This timely study analyzes the inner workings of the political and military control system used by the USSR and former communist regimes in Eastern Europe to rule the region until recent times. It then shows how these controls collapsed and were swept away by the "revolutions" in 1989. This up-to-date work describes the end of the Warsaw Treaty Organization and of Soviet power in the region, and discusses how the East European states may "depoliticize" their armed forces and "renationalize" their foreign security policies in the future.

The armed forces may no longer rule nations throughout Latin America, but they continue to influence democratic governments across the region. In nine original, thought-provoking essays, this book offers fresh theoretical insights into the dilemmas facing Latin American politicians as they struggle to gain full control over their military institutions.

Latin America has changed in profound ways since the end of the Cold War, the re-emergence of democracy, and the ascendancy of free-market economies and trade blocs. The contributors to this volume recognize the necessity of finding intellectual approaches that speak to these transformations. They utilize a wide range of contemporary models to analyze recent political and economic reform in nations throughout Latin America, presenting case studies on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, and Venezuela. Bridging the gap between Latin American studies and political science, these essays not only explore the forces that shape civil-military relations in Latin America but also address larger questions of political development and democratization in the region.

The contributors are Felipe Agero, J. Samuel Fitch, Wendy Hunter, Ernesto Lpez, Brian Loveman, David R. Mares, Deborah L. Norden, David Pion-Berlin, and Harold A. Trinkunas.

Argentina's recently established democracy endured the trauma of four major military uprisings between 1987 and 1990, continuing even after the rebels' original motivations faded. Exploring the causes of the rebellions and the rebel movement's development, Deborah L. Norden's Military Rebellion in Argentina underlines the inherently undefined nature of new democracies and reveals important dimensions of how coalitions are formed within the armed forces. By focusing on a military movement rather than merely separate incidents of insurrection, this study reveals central motivations that could be otherwise overlooked. Norden begins with an analysis of the relation between democracy and military insurrection in previous post-authoritarian civilian periods, then turns to Argentina's long battle against military intervention in politics. The study focuses on the internally divisive effects of the 1976-1983 military regime, which generated the intra-army cleavages that emerged during the subsequent period of civilian rule, and the civilian policies that prompted the rebels to action. At the heart of the study is an examination of the evolution of military rebellion, looking at the shift from policy-provoked reaction to more independent, politically motivated organization. Norden also explores general themes such as intransigent interventionism - and the effects of different military regimes in South America on the likelihood of democratic consolidation.

Although the Chinese military elites throughout the Maoist period played a pivotal role in party politics, they remained compliant to the ultimate party rule. This paradoxical behavior is explained by the dualistic nature of the Maoist political system, which institutionalized military participation in the political leadership while impeding the development of military professionalism & bureaucratic autonomy. This central theme is developed through theoretical discussions, structural analyses, & historical case studies. The book offers a military-centered interpretation of the political history of Maoist China.

Taking an explicitly comparative theoretical approach, Saeed Shafqat presents a comprehensive exploration of civil-military relations in Pakistan. He begins by describing the history of military hegemony in this volatile South Asian country & then examines the breakdown of military control, assessing the rise of the Pakistan People's Party & the changing configuration of party-military relations.