Unit IV
The military and
politics
Introduction:
The
military as a Supreme coercive institution plays a crucial role not just in
society, but also in politics. The frequent military Coups in many third world
countries for decades after World War II show the impact of the armed forces in
democratic politics. The military has played the role of an agent of political
change or conservatism.
Form of military
intervention
Military
intervention is in politics is a General phenomenon but this phenomenon takes
various form.
The form can be described in following bye S.E
Finer as:
1. Influence.
2. Blackmail
3. Displacement
4. Supplantment.
1. Influence: At the lowest to label political actions of
any military organisations will not be different from any other pressures group
that is influencing the decision makers.
2. Blackmail;
The activity of the military will include lobbying within the policy maker process
on questions of weaponry procurement where the military want a shift of policy,
particularly in Foreign Affairs or territorial matters. It may Resort to
blackmail activities.
3. Displacement;
It occurs when the military directly interventions in politics to create
conditions for exchange of civilian government or even dictate what type of
civilian government will be allowed to function. Intervention took place in
Germany throughout the year of the Weimar Republic.
4. Supplantment;
It is direct military rule. the military removes the civilian Government
abolishes parties and take the government over. Such military takes over have been frequent in
Latin America, Africa and South East Asia.
Characteristic of the
military
1. The
army is "the embodiment of national interests"; the member of the
arms forces must have personal courage, endurance and readiness for self
sacrifice.
2. The
arms forces are more strongly organised than other powerful civilian groupings.
They have a highly centralised command, strict hierarchy and discipline and
obedience to higher command.
3. The armed forces are trained to fight war
which occurs occasionally and may indeed never take place. The military is to
be prepared for an eventually, inorder
to achieve the state of readiness.
4. The military emphasis more the conflictual
nature of international society and less on cooperation among Nations. The
conception of society explains why the top brass of the armed force always a
demand that the Nation's be prepared not just from a material, but from a
psychological point of view.
Thus,
In all political system the military possesses certain advantage
characteristics vis-a-vis other civilian groupings which says S.E Finer allow
the military to intervene in politics.
Condition favouring
intervention in politics
Four
elements are essentially in this respect;
1. A degree of professionalization;
A high degree of professional professionalization foster military intervention
because it will affect the degree of pride in its own values and attitudes as
distinct and separate from the rest of the society.
2. Legitimacy of the political system;
The greater the legitimacy of the political system, the less the probability of
military intervention.
3. Socio economic development;
The higher level of socio economic development and the consequent complexity of
the political, social and economic system set limited to the method used by the
military and the levels to which intervention is pressed.
4. Ideology;
This is the important element of the prevailing ideology of the polity. If the
values held by the military differ sharply from prevailing ideologies it is
likely that military intervention will increase.
Summing
up military intervention in politics takes place in any political system, but
it assumes many forms.
Limited intervention
in liberal democracies
Military
intervention in the political process takes place in liberal democracies and
socialist state but such intervention is usually of mildest form; seeking
influence like any other pressures group in society. Alan Ball says, “Direct
military intervention in the political process is the exception rather than the
rule in liberal democracies and socialist state such as the Soviet Union".
In democracy civilian politician complete church of the Nations affairs and
remain accountable to the people.
Generally,
the military seeks to influence government policy especially in foreign policy
and defence matter and makes demand on the financial resources of the state.
The service chief like Civil Servant is heavily involved in decision making,
particularly in Great Britain and the United States.
There
are several social societal factors that account for the low level of military
interference in the political process of liberal democracies
a. They
have undergone a relatively stable process of industrialisation and have a
highly Complex political, social and economic system.
b. The
network of state and other public Institutions and organised group is so vast
and diffuse in an advanced society that military intervention.
c. This
tends to reduce the divergence between the value of the civilian elites and the
military Elite.
The
important of the military lies not only as a group influencing the policy-
making process, it is also important as an executor of policy. The military is
politicised when they are asked to break Industrial strikes in quelling public
outburst and disorder within nation
Role of the military
in third world politics
a. Form of military intervention:
Military Coups in the third world may result in the establishment of military
rule. Military regimes are however normally transient. "Military rule lasted only 6 year on
average in the post 1945 period, and this average is almost the same for each
of the regions of the developing world that is Middle East and North Africa,
South and South East Asia, and Latin
America.
b. Explaining
military coups: It is generally agreed that frequent
military intervention in politics of many newly Independent and developing
countries of the third world are closely linked to a number of factors; low
level of socio economic and political development, the absence of effective
Bureaucracy and parties and group structures, nature of the military response
to the developing politics that face the countries and low level of political
culture.
In
some of the country the national army is in many cases a new Institution let by
the elite of a new middle class. In Egypt, Burma, Pakistan and some other
countries of Central and West Africa, young modern military leaders over threw
corrupt parliamentary regimes of feudal autocrafts in order to provide a strong
and efficient government necessary to carry development policies.
c.
Direct intervention:
Direct interventions may take place the form of exerting direct pressure groups
inorder to achieve a particular political goals. The military seek to achieve
either by revolt or trade of violence. The military plays this role in any type
of political system. To quote Allan
Ball, " Direct interference by the
military in politics but falling short of the assumption of power by the
military may occur in any type of political system."
Military
intervention is the product of two set of force:
a. The
capacity and volition of the armed force to intervene on the one land.
b. The
Socio Political factors on the other.
Generally
speaking, the less dependent the government is upon the military for its
continuance in power, the less likely military intervention will be.
Conclusion
: Though liberal democracy was highly entrenched in France, the instability of the successive
Government and the politics of importance at the fourth Republic allowed the
army and specially the army in Algeria to challenge the legitimacy of the
government as the civilian government has been strengthen the strong political
influence of the army dwindled.
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