This book explores two of the most important dimensions of the military as an institution in Third World politics: its role in domestic power structures and internal development, and its impact on the formation and execution of the security aspects of foreign policy. These internal and external orientations are compared here across selected Third World countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The authors are area experts and specialists in comparative and international politics. Part 1 focuses on how the interaction of military and civilian elites creates a specific domestic political climate. The socioeconomic characteristics of these elites are compared and related to their policy preferences. An examination of military establishments in regimes ranging from communist (Cuba) through business-oriented (Indonesia) reveals whether military similarities persist among differing types of government. In Part 2 the contributors examine the role of military force in the Third World through a general empirical treatment of military behavior in developing countries; an assessment of the security policies–with emphasis on their military components–of several Middle Eastern and Asian states; and an evaluation of the U.S. experience in supporting anti-communist Third World security efforts.
