| The tradition that civil government dominates the army and the army can' t interfere in national political affairs has been shaped from the colonial times. The Constitution of 1787 defines the tradition. It ensures that the phenomenon of the army interfering in political affairs and military dictatorship haven' t appeared in American history. Today, one of important elements which lead to the regional unstability attributes to the military dictatorship. So people can draw lessons from studying the tradition.Under the guidance of historical materialism , the thesis uses the research methods and results of sociology, politics, military science and so on, and adopts the method of analysis and induction .The main points are as follows:The colonial times lay a foundition in American military history. The colonial people were extremely disgusted with the standing army. The causes are:People draw a lesson from Caeser and Cromwell' s dictatorship. The standing army from Britain was corrupt and oppressed the colonial people. At that time, the colonies were too poor to support a standing army. Under the influence of the Enlightenment , the American people loved freedom and democracy . In addition, there are other causes , such as the idea and practice that the civil government dominates the army , the specil and favourable geographical conditions of North America and so on.The idea that milita was the foundation of national defence was formed among the colonial people.After the United State founding , the America was faced with a serious crisis from internal home and abroard while the Continental Army was demobilized. The government under the Articles of Confederation couldn' tguard the gains of the independent revolution. Under the condition, the Constitution of 1787 came into being. It established the principle that the civil government leads the army. To prevent the president fromdictatorship, the Constitution stipulated the principle of power division. Thus the tradition of noninterference embodied in the Constitution.During the period, the army suppressed the Whiskey Rebellion, the Counterembargo Campaign, the political crisis during Jackson' s government and chaired the Reconstruction after the Civil War. In addition, the army took part in the Westward Movement, though there were power frictions between the civil government and the leaders of army during this course . It didn' t damage the noninterference principle, on the contrary, it caused the principle to strike root in the hearts of the people.The main effects that the army participated in the national political affairs during this period were positive. The army resisted the splittism and safeguarded the United States and the government' s authority.lt consolidated the tradition that the civil government led the army and promoted the American economic development. On the other hand, the army is the violent organ of class domination . So it was always used for oppressing the people' s democratic movements. But this is only the minor aspect.The main characteristics of army' s taking part in politics in this period are as follows:First, the army was put to use when the federal government' s security was threatened and the results were consistent. Second, the tradition that the servicemen can' t hold the post of the civil government was consolidated. Third, the nonmilitary presonnel finally failed in their attempt to use the army to crush their opponents. Finally,the idea that militia was the foundition of national defence took the lead and the regular army wasn' t paid much attention.Since the two World Wars , a new trend arised. First, with the development and application of science and technology , the army walkedout of the isolated position and built closer relations with the masses. Second, under the influence of international affairs, the military leaders took an active part in scheming the safeguard national plan and strategy question of . Third, the servicemen were sent to more and more posts to perform hemimilitary or quasi... |
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