Interaction between civilians and the military constitutes a critical as well as controversial relationship in any country, whether democracy or dictatorship. Ideally, civilians and the military from two distinct domains, each with a specific set of functions. While the decision to go to war is made by the political establishment, the military is responsible for the actual conduct of war on the battlefield.1 Yet this relationship is not as simple as it appears at first glance. There often emerge situations in which the traditional division of labor between civilians and the military becomes blurred.2 These situations may range from differences in the nature of a country’s political system to the type of external threat facing a country. As a consequence, the strict dichotomous relationship between civilians and the military can move towards either giving civilians or the military greater control over decisions of war.

• Defence and Security

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