The Political Role of African Armed Forces: The Impact of Foreign Military Assistance

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Periodical article

Title:	The Political Role of African Armed Forces: The Impact of Foreign Military Assistance
Author:	Gutteridge, William F.
Year:	1967
Periodical:	African Affairs: The Journal of the Royal African Society
Volume:	66
Issue:	263
Period:	April
Pages:	93-103
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Africa
Subjects:	civil-military relations Military, Defense and Arms Politics and Government international relations
External link:	https://www.jstor.org/stable/720295
Abstract:	To measure the political behaviour of armed forces in developing countries it is important to establish the extent to which foreign aid can affect the political orientation of these forces. The article takes the effect of British military influence in Africa as the main example. The conclusion is that foreign aid from specific sources has some influence on the political behaviour of embryonic armed forces, but that its direction is unpredictable. The general effect of such assistance is much more significant; in particular the training of officers overseas. Foreign aid very often gives to armies the power to intervene in politics but the purpose of intervention is more likely to be determined by particular local conditions that by the influence of a source of assistance.