Commander in chief is in charge of a country’s armed forces. In many countries, this person also leads the government. In the United States, for instance, the president is commander in chief of the military.
It is rare for a modern commander in chief to wear a uniform or fight. Instead, the commander in chief picks the top leaders of the military. The commander in chief also sets policy for the military. In modern democracies, the office of commander in chief helps prevent the military from starting wars. This responsibility falls to civilian government leaders.
Many of America’s founding fathers did not like the idea of a large, permanent army. They wanted to make sure that officials elected by the people could control the military. Thus, the Constitution calls for the president to serve as commander in chief.
The most famous exercise of civilian control over the American military came during the Korean War (1950-1953). The American military commander in Korea was General Douglas MacArthur. MacArthur was a colorful leader who won many victories during World War II (1939-1945) and in the Korean War. He was popular with the American people. He publicly disagreed with the Korean War policies of President Harry S. Truman. MacArthur wanted to expand the war to China. Truman did not. In 1951, Truman fired MacArthur, exercising his power as commander in chief.
In some countries, civilians have weak control over the military. The military may thus take control of the government, in an action is called a coup d’état.
