The military played a pivotal role in the political development, state functions, foreign policy and the daily lives of the people in the Central Asian states from the early twentieth century until the present. This book is the first major, in-depth study of the military institutions in Central Asian states. It examines their hidden story, the different stages of their development from the early twentieth century until the present, and the influence they had on the state and society. It effectively combines history, sociology of the military and political science and provides deeper insights into how recently formed states function. By concentrating extensively on the military, this book is an important and a timely contribution to a wide range of disciplines including Central Asian studies, and post-colonial state and nation-building studies.

Central Asian Military during the Soviet Regime--"We Won the War": Competing Memories of the Soviet War in Afghanistan--Military Institutions as Part of State-Building during Independence--Russian Bear vs. Asian Tiger: Competing Regional Security Quasi-Regimes--NATO and the West in Central Asia--From Internationalist to Post-Soviet Nationalist Military Conclusions: What lies ahead?