The Croatian Military As a Factor of Social Development -- Opinions of the Croatian Public

The paper analyses the role of the Croatian Military as a factor of development. The analysis draws on previous theoretical considerations & empirical research on the social role of the military, particularly the functional transformation of contemporary militaries. Despite "sector" limitations, it is clear that the "postmodern military" engages in new types of tasks, thus broadening those "traditional" ones. There are several specific fields which the Croatian military can participate in as a factor of development: the field of education, economic development, & the field of local development & environmental protection. In this paper the focus is on aspects of local development & environmental protection as specific areas which are estimated as having a potential to develop successfully within the framework of civil-military cooperation. Analyzed were the results of empirical research of the attitudes of the Croatian public regarding these issues. The topics that the examinees expressed their attitudes on were: acceptability of certain tasks, assessment of the previous influence of the Croatian Armed Forces on social development, opinions about budget expenditure, as well as management of military buildings. Although the examinees have assessed with relative difficulty the developmental role of the military, based on research it can be stated that they are aware of the functional transformation of the military. In other words, the public both accepts & expects that the Croatian Military will adjust to its new "non-combat" roles. Adapted from the source document.