Hungary and NATO: Problems in Civil-Military Relations

Since the revolutions of 1989-1990, most Central and Eastern European states have been striving to adhere to Euro-Atlantic institutions; and when NATO developed its own criteria for membership, democratic control of the military was considered an essential precondition. Based on firsthand participatory and observational insight, Hungary and NATO: Problems in Civil-Military Relations closely follows Hungary’s early work to secure an invitation to join the Alliance in July 1997, preparations for accession in March 1999, and its first four years as a NATO ally. While charting the successes, shortcomings, and continuing challenges faced in its quest to become a full NATO member, Jeffrey Simon presents a comprehensive and original study of civil-military relations in Hungary and simultaneously provides a conceptual framework of civil-military relations that draws upon the lessons of post-communist transition in the entire Central and East European region.