ABSTRACT
The theoretical chapter advocated a broad view of civil-military relations in which the study of history, in combination with cultural and structural factors, forms a deeper understanding of how the civil-military relationship is rooted in societies’ structures and how they may affect the conduct of operational planning and execution. This chapter, therefore, starts with an analysis of some important aspects of British military history. The historical section is followed by the analysis of British civil-military relations. This section uses the discussion from the theoretical chapter and focuses on the interagency structures and the patterns of civil-military relations within the Ministry of Defence. The central question is whether the civil-military structures are integrated or divided with reference to the normative theories outlined in Chapter 2. Another central issue is the level of civilian control of the armed forces.
