Impact of Military Coups d'etat on West Africa's Socio-Economic and Political Development
Abstract
Following the period from 1957-1960, when most countries in West Africa broke loose from colonialism and became independent, the need for an integrated and classless society was one of paramount concern to most, if not all, West Africans. But as the former colonies of European powers began to gain independence from their colonial masters, the educated class eventually dominated and controlled the political landscape of their respective countries. These educated elites who formed the leadership of West African countries had inherent authority over their militaries, but they rarely used their armed forces in the traditional way. Instead, these militaries were being used by politicians as an instrument of fear against the citizenry. Thus began the rise of West African militaries to seize control of state power through military coup d'etats. This thesis will explore the various causes and effects of the staggering number of military coups in the West African Region from 1980 to 2000. The primary research question is as follows: How have these military coups d'etat affected the socioeconomic and political development of West Africa? The thesis also addresses the following secondary questions: What are the factors that gave rise to the military coups in the first place?; Were the military coups truly necessary?; What could have been done to prevent the military coups?; and What do military coups mean for the lives of the ordinary citizens of the subregion?
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 16, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA556556
Entities
People
- Daniel D. Ziankahn Jr.
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College