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Civil—Military Relations in the United States and Russia

An Alternative Approach

Kansas State University, falka{at}ksu.edu

The key to understanding civil—military relations in polities such as Russia and the United States is military culture. Military culture includes a variety of characteristics or norms of behavior. Some such as executive leadership, respect for military expertise, and a clear chain of command are critical and exist in both the American and Russian militaries. Looking at two periods in both countries (Yeltsin and George Bush II, and Putin and George Bush I), this article maintains that in those instances when military culture was ignored in either country (e.g., a lack of executive leadership, little respect for military expertise, and lack of a clear chain of command), conflict not only existed but also was acerbated. Conversely, in cases where the civilians were firmly in charge but respected military culture, conflict was minimized. Senior military officers felt free to express their opinions and had the perception that their views were always taken seriously.

Key Words: U.S. military • Russian military • civil—military relations • military culture

Armed Forces & Society, Vol. 35, No. 4, 667-687 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0095327X09332140


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