Military interventions in politics and more generally military roles in the Arab World are a multifaceted rather than mono-causal phenomenon. The historical journey of this book through my sample of countries aims at promoting a more grounded view of Arab armies. Contrary to the literature that has flourished after 2011, my view of the military is not that of a mere state institution being determined by its internal dynamics (rules, doctrine, culture, etc.) and its political, social, cultural and economic environment, along with some regional and international factors; and then, prompted by an event it did not desire, it suddenly jumped into politics in 2011 with various consequences.