Abstract
This paper assesses the validity of S.E. Finer’s “five conditions of military intervention in politics” in the context of the 1999 military coup in Pakistan. According to Finer, the professionalization of the officer corps, the rise of nationalism and the nation-state, popular sovereignty, the emergence of an “insurrectionary army” and the creation of “new, independent states” contribute to a military’s decision to supplant the civilian authority and intervene in the governance of a country. The findings of this paper confirm that while not all of Finer’s conditions are necessarily fully applicable to Pakistan, his overall framework nonetheless accounts for the major drivers of the 1999 coup.
Highlights
In his 1962 study, The Man on Horseback, S.E
Finer argues that nationalism contributes to military intervention if the armed forces become a visible symbol and pledge of nationhood, if the military ideology and programme are based on nationalism and if the nation is the object of military loyalty
The Armed Forces first became a symbol of Pakistani nationhood under the dictatorship of President Ayub Khan who executed Pakistan’s first military coup in 1958.83According to Cohen, Ayub Khan glorified the army in order to promote a Pakistani national identity and ideology strong enough to withstand a variety of perceived threats, including the countervailing influence of Indian nationalism and the self-interest of individual Pakistani provinces
Summary
In his 1962 study, The Man on Horseback, S.E. Finer identifies five necessary “conditions of military intervention in politics:” professionalization of the officer corps, the rise of nationalism and the nation-state, popular sovereignty, the emergence of an “insurrectionary army” and the creation of “new, independent states.” Finer suggests that these conditions contributed to many of the military revolts and attempted coups in the 1960s, such as those in Lebanon, Turkey, Venezuela, Portugal and Ethiopia. While this may hold true for the geopolitical context of the 1960s, it remains to be seen if Finer’s framework has widespread applicability. In his 1962 study, The Man on Horseback, S.E. Finer identifies five necessary “conditions of military intervention in politics:” professionalization of the officer corps, the rise of nationalism and the nation-state, popular sovereignty, the emergence of an “insurrectionary army” and the creation of “new, independent states.” Finer suggests that these conditions contributed to many of the military revolts and attempted coups in the 1960s, such as those in Lebanon, Turkey, Venezuela, Portugal and Ethiopia.. Finer identifies five necessary “conditions of military intervention in politics:” professionalization of the officer corps, the rise of nationalism and the nation-state, popular sovereignty, the emergence of an “insurrectionary army” and the creation of “new, independent states.” Finer suggests that these conditions contributed to many of the military revolts and attempted coups in the 1960s, such as those in Lebanon, Turkey, Venezuela, Portugal and Ethiopia.2 While this may hold true for the geopolitical context of the 1960s, it remains to be seen if Finer’s framework has widespread applicability. The emergence of new, independent states: Finer notes that the quest for independence often breeds nationalism and exacerbates existing economic, ethnic and religious cleavages.12He contends that these conditions represent “a sure invitation to military intervention” because the professional military is a symbol of nationhood, but it is often able to fulfill the “need for a strong central government.”
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