Soldiers and Societies in Postcommunist Europe : Legitimacy and Change

This major comparative study examines the development of military-society relations in central and eastern Europe since the collapse of communism. Soldiers and Societies in Post-Communist Europe explores how the interaction of the common challenges of postcommunism and the diverse circumstances of individual countries are shaping patterns of military-society relations in this changing region. Detailed country case studies, written by international experts to a common analytical framework, compare the experiences of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Yugoslavia and Ukraine. Front Matter....Pages i-ix Armed Forces and Society: a Framework for Analysis....Pages 1-22 Front Matter....Pages 23-23 The Polish Armed Forces and Society....Pages 25-40 The Integration of the Czech Armed Forces into Society....Pages 41-55 Armed Forces and Society in Slovakia....Pages 56-75 The Armed Forces in Hungarian Society: Finding a Role?....Pages 76-94 Front Matter....Pages 95-95 Armed Forces and Society in Latvia: a Decade of Development....Pages 97-111 Armed Forces and Society in Lithuania....Pages 112-128 Front Matter....Pages 129-129 Ahead of the Curve: the Military-Society Relationship in Romania....Pages 131-152 Still the People’s Army? Armed Forces and Society in Bulgaria....Pages 153-168 ‘La Petite Muette’ and Suspicious Controller: Armed Forces and Society in Slovenia....Pages 169-184 A Crisis of Legitimacy: the Military and Society in Croatia....Pages 185-202 Legitimacy and the Military Revisited: Civil-Military Relations and the Future of Yugoslavia....Pages 203-216 Front Matter....Pages 217-217 The Army and Society in Ukraine....Pages 219-234 Front Matter....Pages 235-235 Conclusion: Patterns and Trends in Military-Society Relations in Postcommunist Europe....Pages 237-257 Back Matter....Pages 258-264 Soldiers and Societies in Postcommunist Europe examines the development of military-society relations in central and eastern Europe since the collapse of communism. Across the region, armed forces' relationships with their societies have undergone tremendous change during this period. This has resulted from the changed strategic environment in Europe, declining popular threat perceptions and major depoliticization and restructuring of the armed forces themselves. The traditional bases for legitimacy in societies for armed forces have often declined, to be replaced with new ones focused around new military roles. The detailed country case studies in this volume, written by leading experts to a common analytical framework, compare the experiences of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Yugoslavia and Ukraine. The book - the third in a series of four volumes on different aspects of civil-military relations in postcommunist Europe - explores how the interaction of the common challenges of postcommunism and the diverse circumstances of individual countries are shaping patterns of military-society relations in this changing region