Civil-Military Relations in Perspective: Strategy, Structure and Policy

The topic of civil-military relations has high significance for academics, for policy makers, for military commanders, and for serious students of public policy in democratic and other societies. The post-Cold War and post-9-11 worlds have thrown up traditional as well as new challenges to the effective management of armed forces and defense establishments. Further, the present century has seen a rising arc in the use of armed violence on the part of non-state actors, including terrorists, to considerable political effect. Civil-military relations in the United States, and their implications for US and allied security policies, is the focus of most discussions in this volume, but other contributions emphasize the comparative and cross-national dimensions of the relationship between the use or threat of force and public policy. Authors contributing to this study examine a wide range of issues, including: the contrast between theory and practice in civil-military relations; the role perceptions of military professionals across generations; the character of civil-military relations in authoritarian or other democratically-challenged political systems; the usefulness of business models in military management; the attributes of civil-military relations during unconventional conflicts; the experience of the all-volunteer force and its meaning for US civil-military relations; and other topics. Contributors include civilian academic and policy analysts as well as military officers with considerable academic expertise and experience with the subject matter at hand.

Table of Contents:
Introduction, Stephen J. Cimbala; Chapter 1 Kids These Days: Growing Military Professionalism across Generations, Isaiah WilsonIII, Edward Cox, Kent W. Park, Rachel M. Sondheimer; Chapter 2 Searching for a More Viable Form of Civil-Military Relations: The Canadian and American Experiences, Dale R. Herspring; Chapter 3 Civil-Military Relations in Contemporary Russia, Stephen J. Blank; Chapter 4, John Allen Williams; Chapter 5 The U.S. Civil-Military Problematique and New Military Missions, Damon Coletta; Chapter 6 The War without a Strategy: Presidents, the Pentagon, and Problems in Civil-Military Relations since the 9/11 Attacks, C. Dale Walton; Chapter 7 Who Serves? The American All-Volunteer Force, Gary SchaubJr., Adam Lowther; Chapter 8 Military Theory, Strategy and Praxis: Implications for Civil-Military Relations, Jacob W. Kipp, Lester W. Grau; Chapter 9 Business Models and Emerging U.S. Warfighting Concepts, Milan Vego; Chapter 10 Cyberwar and Nuclear Crisis Management: Implications for Civil-Military Relations, Stephen J. Cimbala; conclusion Conclusion, Stephen J. Cimbala;

About the Author :
Stephen J. Cimbala, Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Penn State Brandywine, USA Stephen J. Cimbala, Isaiah Wilson III, Edward Cox, Kent W. Park, Rachel M. Sondheimer, Dale R. Herspring, Stephen J. Blank, John Allen Williams, Damon Coletta, C. Dale Walton, Gary Schaub Jr, Adam Lowther, Jacob W. Kipp, Lester W. Grau, Milan Vego.

Review :
'In this volume, Stephen Cimbala and a host of collaborators clearly and comprehensively examine civil military relations from a variety of perspectives. For academics, policy makers, and military professionals, this is a must read.' Lawrence J. Korb, Center for American Progress, USA 'This book makes a valuable contribution to the field of study in civil military relations. It ranges from prior to WWI through the Arab Spring and includes an impressive group of contributors who have examined military and civil leaders under stress in the counterinsurgency and stability environments. This book is recommended to all serious students of the topic.' Bill Flavin, US Army War College