Military Might in Myanmar
From Youthful Idealism to Repressive Despotism
Format:Paperback
Publisher:C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
Publishing:12th Nov '26
£25.00
This title is due to be published on 12th November, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
A compelling history, augmented by on-the- ground reporting, of the armed forces of Myanmar, explaining their enduring hold on power.
‘In this powerful new book, seasoned researcher Bertil Lintner insightfully lays out the history, ideology, and path that have led the enduring power of the military over a peo-ple desperate for peace, freedom, and development.’ — Anthony Ware, and co-author of Myanmar’s ‘Rohingya’ Conflict
The longevity of military rule in Myanmar is one of the great enigmas of Asian politics. From 1962 through to the mid-1970s, there were over sixty military takeovers worldwide, the majority involving the overthrow of democratically elected governments. Only one of those military regimes remains in power today: in Myanmar.
Since ousting the elected government in 1962, the Burmese armed forces have encountered several challenges to their solid grip on power, from periodic popular uprisings and ethnic minorities fighting for self-determination to armed resistance movements on the left and right—but this has only entrenched their position. During a decade of relative political openness, from 2011 to 2021, limited space for civilian politicians was created, but direct military rule was reintroduced after a coup in 2021. What is remarkable is that the origins of the current armed forces date back to a meeting of a few young, idealistic nationalists in 1939, who then decided to take up arms against British colonial rule.
Bertil Lintner explores how and why the military developed into a state within a state—and became a repressive institution representing only its narrow self-interests.
- Explores why military rule in Myanmar has a unique history of holding on for so long
- Looks at the repressive institution’s hold on society
- Author is a seasoned expert who has written books on Myanmar previously <
‘The brutal reassertion of Myanmar military repressive power is perplexing. How and why a national military can turn against almost its entire population, driving a nation into poverty and humanitarian crisis, defies logic. In this powerful new book, seasoned researcher Bertil Lintner insightfully lays out the history, ideology, and path that have led the enduring power of the military over a people desperate for peace, freedom, and development.’
* Anthony Ware, Associate Professor of Humanitarianism and Development, Deakin University, and co-author of Myanmar’s ‘Rohingya’ Conflict *‘Vital history for anyone seeking to understand the roots of today’s deep crisis in Myanmar. This authoritative and engaging account of how Myanmar’s military rose to political dominance details the maelstrom of socialism, Buddhism, and optimism in the early independence years that led to a martial regime and decades of repression.’
* Adam Burke, Regional Director for Peace and Stability, The Asia Foundation *‘This book is essential reading on the forces that made Myanmar’s military so durable, and the profound human and political costs of its rule.’ * Avinash Paliwal, Reader in International Relations, SOAS University of London, and author of India’s Near East: A New History *
‘No one has tracked Myanmar’s armed forces more closely, or for longer, than Bertil Lintner. This book explains the puzzle that still confounds outsiders: how a handful of idealistic young nationalists became a feudal army that rules as a state within a state, and why it will not share power. Essential reading.’ * Azeem Ibrahim, author of The Rohingyas: Inside Myanmar’s Hidden Genocide
ISBN: 9781805266884
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
368 pages