The Stateness matrix: comparing and explaining post-communist civil-military relations : Poland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Ukraine

ENThe stateness matrix permits comparison and explanation of differing outcomes to democratic civil-military transition in post-Communist countries. The stateness matrix comprises four variables: stateness, military restructuring, democratic rules and effective democratic management of defence. Post-communist civil-military relations are a function of the outcome of the interaction of these four factors. Stateness is the crucial element. Stateness can explain the differing outcomes of the post-communist reforms in post-communist states and, depending on circumstances, it can have either a beneficial or a harmful impact on the overall democratisation process. In the four countries studied, Poland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Ukraine, application of the framework allows the investigation and comparison of democratisation processes. Stateness emerges as the key factor in explaining the differences between these cases.