Military Politics of the Contemporary Arab World

Compares the crucial role of Arab armies in state building, a decade after the 2011 Arab Uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria.

Philippe Droz-Vincent (Author)

9781108477420, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 29 October 2020

302 pages
15 x 23 x 2 cm, 0.6 kg

'a valuable contribution to an oft-overlooked aspect of military forces in the region, namely their relations with power, notably civil power … Although ultimately a historical book, Philippe Droz-Vincent's work serves as a blueprint for the future, and what can be expected from Arab military forces as politicised but powerful actors.' Florence Gaub, The International Spectator

Aside from large-scale civic mobilisations, no force was more critical to the outcomes of the 2011 Arab uprisings than the armed forces. Nearly a decade after these events, we see militaries across the region in power, once again performing critical roles in state politics. Taking as a point of reference five case studies where uprisings took place in 2011, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria, Philippe Droz-Vincent explores how these armies were able to install themselves for decades under enduring authoritarian regimes, how armies reacted to the 2011 Uprisings, and what role they played in the post-Uprising regime re-formations or collapses. Devoting a chapter to monarchical armies with a special focus on Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Droz-Vincent addresses whether monarchies radically differ from republics, to compare the foundational role of Arab armies in state building, in the Arab world and beyond.

Introduction
1. The surge of armies in Arab states
2. Changing dynamics with the rise of authoritarian regimes
3. Armies living under enduring authoritarian regimes: the officer as an (influential) bureaucrat
4. Are Arab monarchies different?
5. Agency restored? Uprisings, surprise, army intervention and abyssal challenges ahead
6. Post-uprising eras and regime (tentative) re-formations
Conclusion. Arab armies once again at the forefront.

Subject Areas: Revolutionary groups & movements [JPWQ], Demonstrations & protest movements [JPWF], Political activism [JPW], Political oppression & persecution [JPVR], Political structures: totalitarianism & dictatorship [JPHX], Politics & government [JP]