Soldiers Of Democracy? Av Dr Sharan (Assistant Professor Assistant Professor William & Mary) Grewal

Why do some militaries support and others thwart transitions to democracy? After the Arab Spring revolutions, why did Egypt''s military stage a coup to end the transition? Conversely, why did Tunisia''s military initially support the transition, only to later facilitate the elected president''s dismantling of democracy?In Soldiers of Democracy? Military Legacies and the Arab Spring, Sharan Grewal argues that a military''s behavior under democracy is shaped by how it had been treated under autocracy. Autocrats who had empowered their militaries produce soldiers who will repress protests and stage coups to preserve their privileges. Meanwhile, autocrats who had marginalized their militaries produce soldiers who support democratization, but who are also more susceptible to incumbent takeovers and civilwars. The dictator''s choice to either empower or marginalize the military thus creates legacies that shape both the likelihood of democratization and the forms by which it breaks down.Drawi