Though the weakening of a military’s political influence is not a sufficient condition for democracy, it is a necessary condition. Democratic consolidation depends on, among other things, the manner in which political armies still interfere – or abstain from interfering- in civilian politics. Both the July 3rd coup d’état in Egypt, the critical role of the Syrian military in what turned out to be a civil war in Syria as opposed to facilitating role of the Tunisian army in the deposition of Zeinel Abidin Ben-Ali, and the July 15th coup coup attempt in Turkey underline the crucial role of armed forces in any –democratic or otherwise- polity and transition period both in al-Sharq region and others. The purpose of this course is to provide a deeper understanding of civil-military relations in democracies and different dimensions involved in the current state of military vs. politics in the region and broader Muslim world.

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