Alliance Participation And Foreign Policy Influence: The Military's Role

Abstract

This article assesses the impact of defense alliances on the foreign policy attitudes of the military of member states. The study employs as examples two NATO members (Greece and Portugal), two Warsaw Pact participants (Poland and Czechoslovakia), and two neutral states (Egypt and India). After examining these states' foreign policies-and the role of the military in shaping them-it was concluded that professional needs, such as training, sophisticated equipment, support, and general security considerations result in a close relationship between the military of the participating states and the defense alliance to which they belong. In turn, this close relationship influences the attitudes of the military and causes them to advocate foreign policies that may be beneficial to the alliance, but not always to the best interests and aspirations of their own nation. In short, defense alliances have a significant influence on the attitudes of the military of member states and correspondingly on their foreign/security policies, though not necessarily on the leading member of the alliance.