RETURN TO THE BARRACKS: MILITARY WITHDRAWAL FROM RULE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, 1960--198

This is an empirical, systematic study of military withdrawal from rule in sub-Saharan Africa from 1960 through 1986. Two alternative withdrawal outcomes, the complete military exit from rule to a civilian regime outcome, and a partial military exit to a fused regime outcome, are defined. Two theoretical sub-models explaining the outcomes are developed. They are the military organization and the societal pressure of domestic and international dimensions. Consequently, twenty detailed case studies of withdrawal from 1960 to 1986 are conducted based on the theoretical models. Then, the empirical base of the twenty cases is applied to evaluate the theoretical models towards positing a generalized comparative framework of military withdrawal from rule in Africa.;Substantive findings of different hypotheses tested for the two sub-models include the following: Contrary to normative expectations, the fused rule outcomes are most dominant in the region. In addition, political events during the withdrawal phase mainly determine the outcomes. On the military organization sub-model, high levels of military fission are associated more with civilian rule outcomes than fused regime outcomes. Such fission activities differentiate among the corporate military organizational interests and the military government interests, and are paradoxically, professionally enhancing activities. Furthermore, the degree of professionalism shows in the declared intent at the time of military intervention. The initial overtly declared commitments strongly associate with the withdrawal outcomes. For the societal model, foreign government's support of military junta leaders facilitates partial withdrawals, instead of the complete exit to the civilian rule outcome. Foreign support diminishes the impact of societal pressures on the military junta to withdraw completely from rule. Of the more domestically focused political processes, civilian membership in the cabinet is both a conscious instrument for fused rule outcomes, and a dependent indication of effective societal pressure for civilian rule outcomes. Generally, consistent and unified societal pressure, especially during the withdrawal phase, results in civilian rule outcomes. The lack of such societal pressure strongly relates to the fused rule outcomes.;The findings represent an empirical theoretical framework of military withdrawal from rule in sub-Saharan Africa. This study therefore contributes to the theoretical literature on military in politics and to contemporary debates over democracy and civil-military relations in Africa.