Social Unrest and American Military Bases in Turkey and Germany since 1945

This book argues that that the relationship between US military presence in foreign countries and the non-US citizens under its security umbrella is inherently contradictory.

Amy Austin Holmes (Author)

9781107019133, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 29 May 2014

250 pages, 5 b/w illus. 4 maps 6 tables
23.5 x 16 x 2.2 cm, 0.53 kg

'In arguably one of the best scholarly treatments on the subject since Alexander Cooley's Base Politics, Holmes broadens her notion of anti-base opposition beyond protests to include different forms of contentious politics. This includes non-violent civil disobedience, labor disputes, parliamentary opposition, and acts of violence and terrorism. Holmes also explores the security relationship between the United States and host governments and the difficulty in sustaining political legitimacy over US bases in the long run.” Andrew I. Yeo, Perspectives on Politics

Over the past century, the United States has created a global network of military bases. While the force structure offers protection to US allies, it maintains the threat of violence toward others, both creating and undermining security. Amy Austin Holmes argues that the relationship between the US military presence and the non-US citizens under its security umbrella is inherently contradictory. She suggests that while the host population may be fully enfranchised citizens of their own government, they are at the same time disenfranchised vis-à-vis the US presence. This study introduces the concept of the 'protectariat' as they are defined not by their relationship to the means of production, but rather by their relationship to the means of violence. Focusing on Germany and Turkey, Holmes finds remarkable parallels in the types of social protest that occurred in both countries, particularly non-violent civil disobedience, labor strikes of base workers, violent attacks and kidnappings, and opposition parties in the parliaments.

1. Introduction: the global American military presence in comparative perspective
2. Social unrest and the American military presence in Turkey during the Cold War
3. Social unrest and the American military presence in Germany during the Cold War
4. From shield to sword: the end of the Cold War to the invasion of Iraq
5. Conclusion: losing ground.

Subject Areas: International relations [JPS], Politics & government [JP], Military history [HBW]