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Military regimes and social classes in black Africa: a hypothesis, by Tatania Yannopoulos and Denis Martin
Examples from the history of the African States since their independence show that the purpose of military intervention in political life has been either to take the place of an emergent middle class which was weak and whose position in power was threatened, or to settle conflicts between ruling factions when the former were likely to endanger the existing power structure, or to act as a spearhead on behalf of the privileged classes ousted by progressive forces. From this standpoint, the case of reputedly progressive regimes established after military coups d'Etat poses a question; in fact, it would seem that these regimes are set up to replace leaders who are either too corrupt or are incapable of modernizing society. The circumstances surrounding their emergence thus prompt them to use language of a "progressive" nature, whereas their actual policies differ very little from those implemented by other military regimes. The hypothesis advanced here makes allowance for a certain number of factors operating inside Black Africa. It is deliberately confined to an examination of these factors, though it does not deny - on the contrary - the importance of the peripheral position of the continent, i.e. of all the outside forces which have intervened, and continue to intervene, in African politics.
[Revue française de science politique XXII (4), août 1972, pp. 847-882.]