The autonomy of the military profession as a condition for civil and democratic control of the military and the fulfillment of the main social role of the military

Autor: Starčević Srđan, Blagojević Srđan
Jazyk: English<br />Serbian
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Војно дело, Vol 73, Iss 3, Pp 121-133 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 0042-8426
2683-5703
DOI: 10.5937/vojdelo2103121S
Popis: The interference of the military in politics in a state is indisputably disastrous for its democracy. However, even the "too tight grip" of civil control of the military can be dangerous for a society, if its result is suboptimal or misused military power. The purpose of civil and democratic control of the military is to create a social environment in which the military accepts democratic values and does not pose a threat to the functioning of democracy, while maintaining a high level of professional efficiency and integrity. Therefore, it is necessary to simultaneously find a solution to the civil-military paradox and preserve the professional autonomy of officers from the challenges that come from the sphere of politics. Starting from Huntington's theory of civil-military relations, using a case study and the hypothetico-deductive method, this paper shows that the autonomy of the military profession is one of the conditions for proper functioning of civil and democratic control of the military, and that respecting and strengthening professionalism of officers is a necessary condition for preserving and developing the military capabilities to successfully carry out its missions and tasks. The understanding of civil and democratic control of the military as a process by which a dynamic balance between its participants is achieved is also propagated.
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