The impact of ideology on the Iranian military in the Iran -Iraq War (1980--1988)

The depth of interaction between a political system and its military is dynamic and complex even in peacetime. When that political system is a revolutionary regime at war, the civil-military relationship can be put to the severest test. Ideological regimes may not only proclaim absolute war aims (ends) but also impose upon the armed forces extreme methods (means). Conversely, military institutions tend to be conservative and often seek a long-term professionalization of their organizations, creating separation between themselves and politics. Military efforts to professionalize may be opposed by radical political leaders to whom ideology must override military effectiveness. In the midst of conflict driven by revolutionary ideology, military professionalism can be fundamentally transformed, either complementing aims of the ideology or subordinating military professionalism to the point the war effort itself is diminished. The tradeoff between the two can mean the difference between victory and defeat.;The 1979 Iranian Revolution imposed a new ideology (militant Shiism) upon Iran and radically altered all existing institutions. Iraq's invasion of Iran in 1980 severely tested Iran both politically and militarily. Iran's leaders attempted to islamicize the military by marginalizing the Army and creating a politically reliable force, the Revolutionary Guards. Strategically, Shiite ideology caused the expansion of war aims from recovering Iranian territory to toppling Saddam Huessein. Iran also alienated itself from virtually from all regional and global powers because of ideological reasons thus further reducing their chance of achieving total victory.;The mandated transformation of the military during wartime has historical precedent. Samuel Huntington in his book, Soldier and State, outlined the basis of civil-military relationships and whether these relationships foster professional military growth. Huntington's analysis is used as a start point in a framework that examines in depth the historic patterns, methods and means an ideological regime uses to control a military at war. Issues such as training, leadership, organization and use of elite political troops are examined in detail. The impact of the ideology at the tactical, campaign and geopolitical level are used to assess the effectiveness of the Iranian war effort.