"Since the collapse of communism, the relationship between the Polish armed forces and the Polish government and society has been undergoing a transformation. This book dissects that relationship, inspecting the institutional design of the defense establishment in Poland, and focusing on the process through which a former Warsaw Pact "coalition warfare" partner becomes a Western-style national army.

Author Andrew Michta uses the country of Poland as a kind of case study to mark the outer limits of change that the West can reasonably expect from post-communist countries with regard to the relationships between the military and civil society. Michta identifies the general preconditions necessary for democratic civilian control over the military in countries where there is no historical precedent for civilian oversight.

He pinpoints the difficulties involved in such a transition, and in so doing offers revelations on the past and future of the Polish political system."--BOOK JACKET.