ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the historical trajectories and ongoing changes in the relationship between the military and the state in Asia. It sets the conceptual stage for empirical analysis by introducing the concept of political control of the military and presenting a typology of political-military relations that forms the analytical foundation for empirical research. The political science literature on political-military relations is particularly concerned with the notion of political control over the military. The Political-military relations in the aftermath of World War II are closely intertwined with the military's role and importance in the countries' struggles for independence and the resulting state- and nation-building processes. The chapter discusses the differing effects of regime dynamics on the military's changing political role. The ongoing process of military professionalization in China and Vietnam and the changes from revolutionary to an increasingly neo-patrimonial pattern of political-military relations in North Korea are closely connected to intra-regime dynamics.
