Avoidance of undue military influence during the Cold War vindicated the U.S. practice of civilian control, showing that it was possible to reconcile democratic values and adequate national defense. As the Cold War finally faded away after the remarkable political changes that swept over the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in 1989 - 1991, the United States began to adjust its diplomatic and military posture to the new realities in a way that reinforced the predominance of civilian control. Americans have never wavered in their belief that civilian control of the military is an essential component of government of, by and for the people, and that it strengthens national security in troubled times. Its most significant contribution is to minimize the natural conflict between the requirements of freedom and the necessity of order. The tradition of the citizen-soldier, never repudiated despite changes in the means of providing personnel for the armed forces, helps to ensure that the values of those who serve in uniform reflect those of the society they are sworn to defend.
Every nation has a unique historical experience.
Nevertheless, the thirst for freedom so marked in the American experience is universal, and the means by which any society preserves democracy is of the greatest significance to lovers of liberty everywhere. Many roads lead to constitutionalism, the rule of law and protections against the abuse of power by government officials, but certain principles are essential. One of them is civilian control of the military establishment. The complete absence of military coups and arbitrary military rule throughout the history of the United States is the measure of its utility. Jr. The Civilian and the Military.