The influence of international security environment on civil-military relations: The case of pangalos's dictatorship

A significant increase in the number of coups in countries subject to prolonged external threats and influences once again raises questions about the place and role of armed forces in society. Most studies view the phenomenon of military involvement in politics as a result of the interplay of internal forces, often neglecting the impact of international conjuncture on shaping the relations between military and civilian institutions. Using the example of General Theodoros Pangalos's dictatorship in Greece (1925-1926), this paper examines the influence of the international security environment on civil-military relations. The case study aims to: qualitatively analyse and triangulate multiple types of data, and by process tracing the interaction of the variables in question, explore, describe and explain the causal links between them; and test the hypothesis that, in societies exposed to prolonged international tensions, the position of the military strengthens at the expense of civilian institutions. The research results demonstrate that an unfavourable international security environment negatively affects the development of civil-military relations and indicate the conclusion that a garrison state, where the military exerts greater influence on political processes thereby undermining civilian governance, remains a possible outcome of the political development of societies facing prolonged external threats.