The key role of NATO accession on Poland's democratic transition
Download
Author
Jablonski, Jaroslaw
Date
2002-09Advisor
Abenheim, Donald
Bruneau, Thomas
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The accession of Poland into NATO in the spring of 1999 raises the question of how western attempts to transfer democratic institutions to new democracies in central Europe operated in reality as concerns reform and reaction. Among the obstacles to this process was a western ignorance about domestic social challenges and political conflicts. These go hand in hand with the process of democratic transition and show themselves starkly in the case of Polish politics, society and military institutions in the years before 1999. While transitioning to democracy, Poland experienced two types of threats: one from civilian politicians who tried to use the military to accomplish their political goals, and another from military officers with political ambitions. After the collapse of communism in 1989, Polish military forces remained highly visible in domestic politics for almost a decade and the issue of civil-military relations was at the center of government crises on three occasions. Democratic civilian control over military, a requirement to join NATO, became one of the primary political goals of an overwhelming majority of Polish elites since society saw the membership as the best guarantee of national security and a peaceful future. Politicians and government officials who didn't accept or understand this determination were eventually voted out, dismissed, or now exist on the fringes of political life. NATO's plan for Poland to move toward full membership in the alliance resulted in a peaceful democratic transition.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.Collections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Building an army in a democracy in Hungary and Poland
Fields, Frank E; Jensen, Jack J. (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 1996-12);This thesis presents a refined treatise of civil military relations and military professionalism which provides civilian and military personnel engaged in the reform process in Hungary and Poland with insights into the ... -
A return to Europe: Poland and Western security structures since 1991
Wudarzewski, Dariusz (Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School, 2014-12);Poland is arguably the leading example of successful democratization and Westernization within Central and Eastern Europe. This thesis explores how Poland’s participation in Western security structures has enabled it to ... -
Pro patria limits to military obedience and soldierly honor in modern continental Europe; case studies from Polish and German military history
Tkaczyk, Robert A. (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2007-03);The present study analyzes cases when, officers considered themselves relieved of their duty as soldiers in favor of adhering either to what they believed was a higher loyalty and professional purposes or to their own ...