Political armies : the military and nation building in the age of democracy

In the post Cold War era does the withdrawal of armies from direct rule in most countries herald an end to their role as actors in domestic politics? Is it indeed sensible to assume that political intervention by the military has been more or less permanently superceded? Drawing on the 20th century experience of a dozen important countries this book examines a number of closely related issues:• What generalizations can be made about the causes and enduring consequences of military rule for nation building and economic development? • How have the passing of the Cold War, the rise of globalization and other changes in the 1990s affected the political role of the military? • How can we assess the role of political armies in relation to the problems of consolidating civil politics and democratic governance? • Are there lessons for policymakers to be learned from a comparative analysis of political armies in such fields as global governance and post-conflict reconstruction?This stimulating set of explorations and investigations builds on previous theories about the role of the military in politics and looks to the future - the possible proliferation of armed actors, new perversions in the domestic roles of the armed forces, and the much more prominent emergence of privatized forces of law and order.No Cover Page. 2 Page View. In the post Cold War era does the withdrawal of armies from direct rule in most countries herald an end to their role as actors in domestic politics? Is it indeed sensible to assume that political intervention by the military has been more or less permanently superceded? Drawing on the 20th century experience of a dozen important countries this book examines a number of closely related issues: • What generalizations can be made about the causes and enduring consequences of military rule for nation building and economic development? • How have the passing of the Cold War, the rise of globalization and other changes in the 1990s affected the political role of the military? • How can we assess the role of political armies in relation to the problems of consolidating civil politics and democratic governance? • Are there lessons for policymakers to be learned from a comparative analysis of political armies in such fields as global governance and post-conflict reconstruction? This stimulating set of explorations and investigations builds on previous theories about the role of the military in politics and looks to the future - the possible proliferation of armed actors, new perversions in the domestic roles of the armed forces, and the much more prominent emergence of privatized forces of law and order. Introduction 1. Military Politics and the Mission of Nation Building - Kees Koonings and Dirk Kruijt 2. From Military Reformists to Civilian Dictatorship: Peruvian Military Politics since 1960s - Dirk Kruijt & Maria Del Pilar Tello 3. The Guatemalan Politico-Military Project: Whose Ship of State? - Jennifer Schirmer 4. The Military and Politics in Brazil, 1964-2000 - Celso Castro 5. A Political Army in Chile: Historical Assessment and Prospects for the New Democracy - Felipe Aguëro 6. The Janus Face of the Indonesian Armed Forces - Nico Schulte Nordholt 7. The Military, Politics and Post-Cold War Dilemma's in Turkey - Aylin Güney 8. The Algerian Army and the State - Lahouari Addi 9. Entrenched Militarism and the Future of Democratic Transition in Nigeria - J'kayode Fayemi 10. Political Armies and the Nation State in Ethiopia and Eritrea - Robin Luckham 11. Army Politics as a Historical Legacy: The Experience of Burma - Martin Smith 12. Serbia and the Politics of the Yugoslav Armies: Communism, Federalism and Democracy - James Gow 13. The Military Politics: Old Wine in New Bottles? An Attempt at Stock-Taking - Emanuel De Kadt Epilogue: Political Armies between Continuity and Demise - Kees Koonings and Dirk Kruijt This is a comparative examination of the politicized armed forces of Peru, Burma, Chile, Turkey, Algeria, Ethiopia, Yugoslavia, Nigeria, and Guatemala. The volume looks at the consequences of military rule for nation building and economic development, and also addresses the effects the rise of globalization on the military, as well as the role of political armies in the consolidation of civil politics and democratic governance. The contributors provide a fascinating glimpse into the future, and make interesting connections between the role of the military and politics.