The Military And Politics In Five Developing Nations

The report consists of five case studies of the political role of the military: Ethiopia, Jordan, Pakistan, South Korea, and Burma. It includes an introductory essay by the editor suggesting conceptualization of a research format--that an explanation of the political role of the military depends upon (1) the political resources of the military, (2) the political perspectives of the military, and (3) patterns of demands and supports within the civilian sector. Each study presents the history of the armed forces, their organization, training, patterns of social recruitment, and values. The political history of each country emphasizes causes of political stability or instability such as sociopolitical divisions or presence of a potential external threat. The politicization of the military resulting from these internal and political factors has led to incidents of military involvement in politics, including coups d'etat in all the countries, and to military governments in three of them; these incidents, and the military governments, are described in detail.