Civil-Military Relations in the United States (Cass Military Studies)

Richard Kohn is Professor of History and director of the Curriculum in Peace, War and Defense at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

The founders of the United States certainly understood this principle.  They wrote explicit provisions into the first state and federal constitutions to assure it.  For over two centuries, American security has rested on the foundation of military subordination to civilian authority, with little worry about a coup or even an attempt.  Yet the relationship between the most senior military officers and the political leadership have been anything but smooth, and in recent years the chains of civilian control have weakened &ndash

About the AuthorRichard Kohn is Professor of History and director of the Curriculum in Peace, War and Defense at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.