Image of The
Bookmark Share

Text

The "Democratic Soldier": Comparing Concepts and Practices in Europe

Since the end of the Cold War almost all European countries have reformed their armed forces, focusing on downsizing, internationalization and professionalization. This paper examines how these changes in security sector governance have affected the normative model underlying the militaryâ s relationship to democracy, using the image of the â democratic soldierâ . Drawing on a comparative analysis of 12 post-socialist, traditional and consolidated democracies in Europe, the different dimensions of the national conception of soldiering are analysed based on the official norms that define a countryâ s military and the ways in which individual members of the armed forces see their role. Cases converge around the new idea of professional soldiering as a merging of civilian skills with military virtues in the context of the militaryâ s new post-Cold War missions. Yet despite this convergence, research also shows that specific aspects of national traditions and context continue to influence the actual practice of soldiering in each case. The contradictions that result between these old and new visions of the role of the military and the soldier illustrate the tensions that exist between political goals and defence reform dynamics.

Availability

No copy data

Detail Information
Series Title
SSR Papers, 9
Call Number
320 MAN d
Publisher
London : Ubiquity Press.,
Collation
64
Language
English
ISBN/ISSN
9781911529361
Classification
320
Content Type
text
Media Type
computer
Carrier Type
online resource
Edition
Ed. 1
Subject(s)
Politics & government
Warfare & defence
Specific Detail Info
-
Statement of Responsibility
Other Information
Cataloger
umi
Source
https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/25842
Validator
-
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
-
Journal Volume
-
Journal Issue
-
Subtitle
-
Parallel Title
-
Other version/related

No other version available

File Attachment
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment