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The State and the Soldier: A History of Civil-Military Relations in the United States
America’s Founding Fathers feared that a standing army would be a permanent political danger, yet the U.S. military has in the 250 years since become a bulwark of democracy. Kori Schake explains why in this compelling history of civil-military relations from independence to the challenges of the present.
The book begins with General Washington's vital foundational example of subordination to elected leaders during the Revolutionary War. Schake recounts numerous instances in the following century when charismatic military leaders tried to challenge political leaders and explains the emergence of restrictions on uses of the military for domestic law enforcement. She explores the crucial struggle between President Andrew Johnson and Congress after Lincoln’s assassination, when Ulysses Grant had to choose whether to obey the Commander-in-Chief or the law – and chose to obey the law. And she shows how the professionalization of the military in the twentieth century inculcated norms of civilian control.
The U.S. military is historically anomalous for maintaining its strength and popularity while never becoming a threat to democracy. Schake concludes by asking if its admirable record can be sustained when the public is pulling the military into the political divisions of our time.
The book begins with General Washington's vital foundational example of subordination to elected leaders during the Revolutionary War. Schake recounts numerous instances in the following century when charismatic military leaders tried to challenge political leaders and explains the emergence of restrictions on uses of the military for domestic law enforcement. She explores the crucial struggle between President Andrew Johnson and Congress after Lincoln’s assassination, when Ulysses Grant had to choose whether to obey the Commander-in-Chief or the law – and chose to obey the law. And she shows how the professionalization of the military in the twentieth century inculcated norms of civilian control.
The U.S. military is historically anomalous for maintaining its strength and popularity while never becoming a threat to democracy. Schake concludes by asking if its admirable record can be sustained when the public is pulling the military into the political divisions of our time.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published September 5, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 12, 2025
A couple of weeks ago, a copy of 𝗞𝗼𝗿𝗶 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗸𝗲's new book, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘳, arrived in the mail from Polity. I had planned to order a copy, and was more than a little happy to be asked to review it. The BLUF? It was classic Kori Schake - insightful, provocative, and a brilliantly-written page-turner.
In the book, she tackles one of the most enduring - and essential - questions in civil-military relations: how can a democratic state maintain effective armed forces without endangering the very freedoms they are charged to protect? Oddly enough, this was a subject that I wrote about in my chapter for #StrategyStrikesBack in 2018, using the Jedi Order as a metaphor to explore the challenges inherent to civ-mil relations.
The central theme of the book is the evolving relationship between the military and society in a liberal democracy. A relationship that is fundamentally dynamic, shifting with political, social, and strategic winds. In the book, she notes how those traditional bonds of mutual trust have been strained by expanding social divides and increasing political polarization. She also addresses the danger of politicization within the ranks, an entanglement that not only undermines the effectiveness of the armed forces but threatens both the legitimacy and stability of the democratic order.
A powerful takeaway from 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘳 is that sustaining a healthy democracy requires more than civilian control of the military. It is a shared responsibility of the nation's political leaders, institutions, and citizenry. A fact that she drives home: “Democracy’s strength lies not in the obedience of its soldiers, but in the accountability of its citizens.”
With that observation, Schake encapsulates something that I tried to capture myself in #StrategyStrikesBack: the integrity of democratic governance requires its citizenry to be engaged and informed. When complacency sets in - as it did with the Old Republic - the very foundation of civil society is vulnerable.
In the book, she tackles one of the most enduring - and essential - questions in civil-military relations: how can a democratic state maintain effective armed forces without endangering the very freedoms they are charged to protect? Oddly enough, this was a subject that I wrote about in my chapter for #StrategyStrikesBack in 2018, using the Jedi Order as a metaphor to explore the challenges inherent to civ-mil relations.
The central theme of the book is the evolving relationship between the military and society in a liberal democracy. A relationship that is fundamentally dynamic, shifting with political, social, and strategic winds. In the book, she notes how those traditional bonds of mutual trust have been strained by expanding social divides and increasing political polarization. She also addresses the danger of politicization within the ranks, an entanglement that not only undermines the effectiveness of the armed forces but threatens both the legitimacy and stability of the democratic order.
A powerful takeaway from 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘳 is that sustaining a healthy democracy requires more than civilian control of the military. It is a shared responsibility of the nation's political leaders, institutions, and citizenry. A fact that she drives home: “Democracy’s strength lies not in the obedience of its soldiers, but in the accountability of its citizens.”
With that observation, Schake encapsulates something that I tried to capture myself in #StrategyStrikesBack: the integrity of democratic governance requires its citizenry to be engaged and informed. When complacency sets in - as it did with the Old Republic - the very foundation of civil society is vulnerable.
February 10, 2026
The State and the Soldier provides an excellent overview of the history of where we started and civilian-military leadership. The author strikes a balance between historical commentary and analysis of other works of scholarship in the field that was informative and engaging. I found Schake’s position placing the responsibility of maintaining a healthy Civ-mil relationship in both the military and civilians compelling. Schake asks leadership to stop using the military as a shield for their unpopular policies, and military leadership to maintain situational awareness of the political environment they operate in. Schake’s warnings about rising praetorianism was particularly compelling- continued reliance on the military to keep the civ-mil relationship unproblematic will breed resentment of the populace by the military. This rings particularly true as the civilian who was supposed to read this alongside me hasn’t even started the book yet. 4.4/5, rounding down since Schake describes the decision whether or not to wage a preventative war as one of policy, not of … legality or ethics? I remain hopeful that the democratic process will yield leadership committed to maintaining the relationship, not merely leeching from the military’s status as one of the few institutions broadly trusted by the American public.
January 31, 2026
B: With the president looking for any excuse to invoke the Insurrection Act against states and cities who disagree with the administration’s randomly “targeted” immigration roundups, and questions are being asked as what a lawful order is, this review of civil-military relations is prescient. The book is an easy read and provides an overview of the history and customs brought down to us from the examples set by Washington in command of the Continental Army, the laws governing this relationship. She also provides vignettes of when custom held and those where both military and political leaders bent or broke those traditions.
When I first entered the Navy there was an ironic description of the service as “200 years of tradition unimpeded by progress.” We as a nation fifty years later are seeing that our republic has been both a nation of laws and traditions. We must weigh the values of those traditions, some of which should become laws because they are being ignored as acceptable custom; while others should be abandoned as e pluribus unum.
When I first entered the Navy there was an ironic description of the service as “200 years of tradition unimpeded by progress.” We as a nation fifty years later are seeing that our republic has been both a nation of laws and traditions. We must weigh the values of those traditions, some of which should become laws because they are being ignored as acceptable custom; while others should be abandoned as e pluribus unum.
February 11, 2026
Despite the main title being a play on Huntington’s foundational work, this is of a different nature. This is a collection of historical case studies, as the subtitle notes. Incredibly valuable. Detailed. Well-researched. Short on theory. Takes unnecessary criticism of some canonical civ-mil books that exceed the scope of a history, but that doesn’t necessarily detract from the thesis and supporting argument. An honestly refreshingly frankly appraisal of civ-mil relations: there is not a crisis, mostly because the military has consistently chosen restraint (with a few well-chronicled exceptions).
February 10, 2026
Pertinent and clearly written. Should be widely read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews