Հովհաննիսյան Արծրուն, Գրիգորյան Վահրամ, Պողոսյան Լեոնարդ 027
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LEGAL RELATIONS BETWEEN MILITARY AND POLITICAL AUTHORITIES IN THE CONTEXT OF ARMY BUILDING ISSUES
Artsrun Hovhannisyan
Head of the Headquarters Command Institute of the Military Academy named after Vazgen Sargsyan, Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, Colonel
PhD in History, Associate Professor
Vahram Grigoryan
Scientist and Analyst at the Center of Military Strategic Studies of the National Defense Research University, Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, Colonel in the Reserves
Leonard Poghosyan
Chief Specialist of the International Cooperation and Public Relations Department of the Educational Complex of MIA of the Republic of Armenia,
Lecturer at the Chair of General Humanities and Socioeconomic Disciplines,
Rescue Service and Crisis Management Educational Unit,
Lieutenant in the Reserves
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The article examines the interrelation between military and political authorities in the context of army building. It analyzes the historical evolution of interactions between the political leadership and the military command, exploring their impact on the development and efficiency of armed forces. Using historical-comparative and analytical methods, the study identifies different models existing in both authoritarian and democratic political systems. Examples from the United States, Germany, and the USSR/Russia highlight how political institutions and civil-military relations influence military organization and strategy.
The paper also discusses classical and modern theoretical perspectives, including those of Clausewitz, Moltke, Hobbes, Weber, Lasswell, Arendt, and Huntington, emphasizing the importance of maintaining balanced civil control over the military.
The findings underline that the effectiveness of army building depends on the proper delineation of political and military functions and on the establishment of lawful, stable, and professional relations between them.
The study concludes that strategic errors often arise when political leaders intervene directly in military decision-making, leading to grave consequences, especially in authoritarian systems. In democratic systems, similar mistakes occur when professional institutions are weak or lack open intellectual competition.
Keywords: civilian control, army, commander, officer, Armed Forces, military strategy, command, military theory.