The military and democratization: A comparison of the Egyptian and Zimbabwean experiences

ABSTRACT Employing the notion of reserve domains of power, this article considers the relationship between the military and democracy focusing on the Egyptian and Zimbabwean experiences. It examines the actions of the Egyptian military and its decision to desist from brutally repressing the protesters during the Arab Spring against Mubarak but doing the opposite against Morsi. It also discusses the actions of the Zimbabwean military and its decision to intervene into the political arena in November 2017, which led to the end of Mugabe’s rule after standing by him against the opposition Movement for Democratic Change political party since 2000. The article argues that the actions of the military in Egypt and Zimbabwe should be understood in light of the two countries’ civil–military relations and the consequences for what their military leadership had to gain or lose, both organizationally and individually, in acting to support or not support Presidents Mubarak, Morsi, and Mugabe respectively. The article illustrates how in both cases the military’s decisions to allow the overthrow of these countries’ leaders mirrored political intentions and worked for the military’s organizational and individual interests.