Military autonomy: its origins, limits, and the politico-military dialectic of war

ABSTRACT

Military officers often oppose political interference in the conduct of war. Political leaders respond by citing Clausewitz’s contention that “war is the continuation of politics with the addition of other means.” Scholarship in security studies and civil-military relations argues that civilians are right to oppose military autonomy because it serves the parochial interests of the military. However, through the dialectical relationship between the violent essence of war and its political nature, Clausewitz provides an alternative explanation for military demands for autonomy. He shows that military and political leaders are prone to an incomplete understanding of war that can undermine strategy and policy.

KEYWORDS:

• Civil-military relations
• military innovation
• Clausewitz
• strategy

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

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Peter Campbell

Peter Campbell is assistant professor of political science at Baylor University where he conducts research on international security, military innovation, civil-military relations, counterinsurgency, and cyber warfare. He holds an MA in War Studies from King's College London and a PHD in political science from the University of Notre Dame. He is also the author of  “Military Realism: The Logic and Limits of Force and Innovation in the US Army“ (University of Missouri Press, 2019).