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Croatian Officers Opinions on Croatia's Entering Politico-Military Integrations
Tomislav Smerić
Ozren Žunec
Sažetak
Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia (AFRC), founded just over a decade ago under unfavorable circumstances of armed conflict, are now facing the challenge of joining European and Euro-Atlantic politico-military alliances. As preparations for and the actual membership in these organizations, especially in NATO, require a number of significant changes (from those in conceptions and strategies of national security and defense to those in social status of a professional soldier) officer corps’ acceptance of these changes is an important factor determining success of the accomplishment of integration processes. Study on a convenience sample of 268 senior and junior officers in the AFRC, conducted in the course of 2001, was an attempt to get an insight into their opinions regarding different aspects of Croatia’s joining politico-military integrations (from NATO membership to bilateral military cooperation between former SFRY countries). Results revealed that the majority of the respondents accept entering the politico-military alliances (NATO, military Euro-integrations) as a guarantee of external/military security and as a precondition for technological modernization of armed forces. At the same time, Croatian officers, almost without an exception, think that even after joining NATO, AFRC should keep their capabilities of independent action according to national interests. A degree of skepticism regarding the NATO membership is connected to the estimation of potential loss of country’s sovereignty, as well as to the relatively unfavorable estimation of the real contribution of Croatia’s membership in “Partnership for Peace” to country’s military security.
Ključne riječi
military officers; politico-military integrations; Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia; NATO
Hrčak ID:
2826
URI
Datum izdavanja:
31.12.2002.
Posjeta: 1.907 *