Publication

This paper looks at how post-1991 military reforms in Europe have affected the nature of democratic civil‐military relations. After examining the national conceptions of military power in different countries, the paper identifies a common thread among them – i.e., the belief that fielding professional forces is the best way to 1) merge civilian skills with military virtues, and 2) cope with new post-Cold War missions. Despite this growing convergence, however, we need to remember that national notions of military power will persist, which will then lead to ‘contradictions’ in how armed forces are used.