Although the United States has never faced the danger of a military coup, the relations between civilian leaders and the military have not always been easy. Presidents have contended with military leaders who were reluctant to carry out their orders. Generals and Admirals have appealed to Congress for sympathy and support. Congressional leaders have tried to impose their own visions and strategies on the U.S. armed forces. This triangular struggle has recurred time and again, in wartime and in efforts to reshape the military for future wars.
This book argues that the U.S. military is in a triangular relationship with two civilian masters the President and the Congress. An underlying theme is how civil-military relations get caught up in domestic politics.
This book illustrates this dual system of civilian military control in a series of case studies, starting from the way the Continental Congress ran the Revolutionary War by committee and concluding with the George W. Bush/Donald Rumsfeld efforts to transform the U.S. military into a modern terrorist-fighting force. These show how warriors and politicians interacted at different points in U.S. history.
