Explaining the Rise and Fall of Military Regimes: Civil-Military Relations in the Congo

Abstract

The primary argument of this article is that the disintegration of the military is a function of circumstances generated within civil-military relations. This argument seems to undermine Samuel Huntington's military subordination through either subjective or objective controls. In looking at the Congolese situation, this analysis relies on Morris Janowitz's idea of a politicized military corps to understand the rise and fall of General Mobutu Sese Seko. Janowitz's suggestion that the military is becoming more politicized, regardless of its level of professionalism, properly represents events in the Congo under General Mobutu. In fact, it was this high level of politicization that over time led to Mobutu's downfall. Using Janowitz's typology of the military in developing countries, this article focuses on several factors that explain why the military might fail to perform effectively in its mission of defending the state. Among these conditions are colonial legacy, economic survival, frequent military purges and reshuffling of top officers, regimental segmentation, poor recruiting and training programs, promotion of officers on the basis of subnational loyalty rather than combat experience, and the withdrawal of support from powerful patron states.