The Thorneycroft Patent Rifle

Ferguson, Jonathan

doi:10.1080/17416124.2019.1667668

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

References 2 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…During military battles, tactical movements to capture enemy positions become central. Mechanized units, with the mobility and protection they provide as well as the overwhelming firepower they carry, might be better equipped to take on the operational steps necessary to effectively overthrow a government (Luttwak, 1979; Ferguson, 1987). According to Luttwak (1979: 138), coup execution requires “the application of force at the right place [...] by striking at the organization heart of the whole state.” As highlighted above, popular images of coups typically feature tanks and other armored vehicles on the streets and outside government buildings.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Armored vehicles’ movements are more easily detectable, which reveals to loyal security forces the intentions and location of rebels. With the involvement of armored units, perpetrators may undermine the element of surprise that is crucial to any coup attempt and to “making a fact” (Ferguson, 1987: 108; Singh, 2014). Furthermore, armored parts of the military are normally stationed outside capital cities, as tank units require spacious facilities to store their equipment and carry out military exercise.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

How Mechanization Shapes Coups

Choulis

Mehrl²,

Escribà‐Folch

et al. 2022

Comparative Political Studies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Civil-military relations are characterized by a fundamental dilemma. To lower coup risk, leaders frequently empower the military, which satisfies the armed forces with the status quo and enables them to fight against threats challenging the civilian leadership. Simultaneously, a too powerful military itself constitutes a potential threat that is capable of overthrowing the government. Our research adds to this debate by examining the impact of mechanization, that is, the degree to which militaries rely on armored vehicles relative to manpower, on coup risk. We discuss several (opposing) mechanisms before developing the theoretical expectation that higher levels of mechanization should lower the likelihood of a coup due to the increased costs of coup execution. Empirical evidence strongly supports this claim and, thus, contributes to our understanding of the emergence of coups as an essential breakdown of civil-military relations, while adding to the debate surrounding the many trade-offs leaders face when coup-proofing their regimes.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%