Military Influence on Politics - Essay Example

Parham ZaimZadeh ID number: 6369472 Poli 203 Word count: 1515 Military Influence on politics Military involvement in the country’s politics has become a common feature of modern states. This history of military-government relationship traces its roots back to hundreds of years during the wars of freedom and independence. In some countries, the military is heavily involved in political affairs while others keep politics out of the military. The differences in this relationship among states arise from underlying historical factors of the modern states. This paper considers two states, Germany and Nigeria where military is heavily involved in politics owing to a long history of political warfare fuelled by ethnic pressures and economic challenges. These states are used as a reference point for military involvement in politics and the conditions under which this happens. These examples show that historical and recent conditions make the relationship between government and military very different in African and European context. In the former, weak governments are unable to control military power, while on the later, even in countries with strong military, the political leadership put limits on military power. 1. Justification I selected these particular two countries for research based on their history of military involvement in state affairs. Germany’s history of military involvement in political affairs dates back to the early periods when she entered into a set of warfare with the Roman Empire. Before the formation of German state, in the period from 1618 to1648, the smaller states in the area that would become Germany fought with France, with the Catholics and faced an attack from the Lutheran king of Sweden (Finer and Jay, 2004:9). Conflict also led to unity in the German states. A series of crusades, for example, unified the German people and enabled peaceful coexistence. Eventually, the Napoleonic wars created a new Germany that oversaw the wars of unification under Otto von Bismarck. In 1871, the German tribes united and a single German state was formed. Given its history of warfare, Germany adopted a strong military that influenced all other aspects of governance. In modern times, the country’s history has of course been dominated by the two world wars. Germany is thus a good example of a country where the military holds an extreme influence in political. Its history of great rulers and commanders and its powerful military make it particularly interesting country for study in this regard I selected Nigeria, on the other hand, based on the currently prevailing political conditions in the country. The Nigerian government’s inability to sustain a democratic tradition has fostered negative values among the people. There are regular clashes associated with ethnicity and religious differences. The country consists of several ethnic groups, which compete for both power and resources. Additionally, the country is rich in oil yet the regions with more oil suffer from abject poverty because of state neglect. The state has adopted militarization to protect the state’s interest and to maintain order in the country. Nigeria is also a useful choice to demonstrate military power in Africa, in particular. 2. Hypotheses 2.1 German and Nigerian militaries have high power that influences the countries’ politics. Military forces in modern Germany and Nigeria influence the governments in power. Unlike in other states, Nigeria and Germany are examples of a tragic alliance between the government in power and the military force. Nigerian government is not democratic, and political analysts argue that the Nigerian government is a great example of a military government. Nigerian governments since its independence have shown a shift in power between the civilian and the military government (Peters, 1997:113). On the other hand, German government is influential in determining all military events and activities. Compared to other countries, these two show a unique power for the military. Furthermore, the military has such a significant impact in politics due to the rise of military leaders decided to use military force for personal gains. 2.2 The relationship between the military and politics in Nigeria and Germany traces its origin to the historical backgrounds of the respective countries. The recent relationship between the military and politics in both Germany and Nigeria developed because of historical ties between political and military leaders. Germany underwent a series of wars requiring the establishment of a strong military regulated by the state, while the Nigerian military government arose because of failed attempts to establish a democratic state 3. Evidence 3.1 Military power in Nigeria The military in Nigeria symbolizes an important force behind the success of Nigerian political life. The elites who want to cling to power use the military as a sustaining force, irrespective of the magnitude of objections from citizens and the international community. The powerful military in Nigeria aims at protecting minority interests at the expense of the multitudes. The military, therefore, has concentrated on promoting interests of those in power while at the same time destroying those who demonstrate resistance towards the state. The military force in Nigeria exemplifies this bias by giving tokens to those whom they believe to be patriotic. Patriotism in Nigeria is determined by submission. Those who submit to all the evils committed against them by the state qualify to become patriots before the eyes of the law (Inamete, 2001:76). Nigeria has experienced leadership by military rulers who come to power through political aberrations and promises of democracy. The promise of democracy has never materialized since Nigeria gained independence, and this failure has made room for military governments. The military has exploited ethnic tensions in order to sustain power. For example, whenever a civilian enters into power in Nigeria, the military arm fuels ethnic violence in order to maintain its power over the civilians (Peters, 1997:114). The origin of the political and military alliance in Nigeria and Africa at large traces its origin to the political climate of neglect and carelessness among leaders. Leaders who took power after independence typically neglected their duties and responsibilities leading to poor leadership. For example, several attempts by Nigeria to establish a republic failed because of irresponsible leaders. During the time when the state was in the process of collapsing, politicians sought military assistance to maintain and reinstate national sovereignty. Nigeria has experienced what philosophers consider a sharing of power between civilians and the military. Nigerian military involvement in politics is thus caused by inability to establish a strong democracy and the existence of tensions between Nigerian ethnic groups. 3.2 Military influence in Germany The relationship between politics and the military in contemporary Germany developed during the Soviet strategy that aimed to control Eastern Europe. Political leaders in German states collaborated with the military to show off their strength and gain victory over their enemies. The turning point of the alliance between the military and politics was the rise of the Russo-German military alliance, and since this period, the Germany military has played significant roles in political and policy development in Germany. After the signing of the Warsaw Pact, each German state established its own military. The Bundeswehr, a military force established in 1955 in West Germany, was involved in a series of discussions concerning remilitarizing Germany. Since its inception, this military arm has been involved in political life and activities including wars of conquests and anti-terrorism wars. The German constitution, however, gives the German state power to control all military forces (Macgregor, 1989:14). The long use military in wars of conquests and internal security helps However, unlike in Nigeria; German culture successfully restricts the use of military power for particular purposes. The application of military force in German politics is influenced by German historical experiences, culture, and values. The country’s traditions restrict political approaches regarding the use of power. The use of military in modern Germany is restricted by the German government to external activities like Iraq war, as well as combating terrorism in the country and internationally (Huntington, 1964:98). 4. Conclusion Alliances between the military and politics are not a new phenomenon in modern states. This relationship has existed since the establishment of states. Militaries develop due to the need to protect the newly founded country, and powerful armies often emerge to help the leaders in power to sustain their leadership while maintaining security of their people. The military help in the maintenance of law and order during periods of rebellion and instability. However, the relationship between military and government differs even among countries with a strong military history. In African countries like Nigeria, military leaders came into power promising to promote democracy but have retained power over political forces due to the strong relationship between leaders and the military. In European countries like Germany, military forces developed with the motives of political expansion and security of the nation, but unlike in Nigeria, the government controls the military and limits its power. Reference list Finer, Samuel E, and Jay, Stanley. 2004. The Man on Horseback: The Role of the Military in Politics. NewBrunswick: Transaction Pub. Huntington, Samuel P. 1964. The Soldier and the State: The Theory and Politics of Civil-Military Relations. Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. Inamete, Ufot B. 2001. Foreign Policy Decision Making in Nigeria. Selinsgrove: Susquehanna Univ. Press. Macgregor, Douglas A. 1989. The Soviet-East German Military Alliance. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Peters, Jimi. 1997. The Nigerian Military and the State. London: Tauris Academic Studies. Read More