This paper relates the evolution of the relationship among the armed forces, the state, and society in the course of the past three decades in Chile to the main themes developed in the comparative politics of authoritarianism and democratization. Explanations about the military coup, the nature of military regimes,
the nature of the transition and its influence over post-transitional contexts are some of the themes discussed. The paper also offers a way to integrate the study of democratic breakdown and ensuing political processes with the contributions that the military makes from its own institutional developments.
Finally, the paper offers conclusions about the future of civil-military relations from a comparison with previous processes of breakdown and transition in Chile.