Logo: to the web site of the Swedish Defence University

Since the terror attacks on 9/11, the role of Western militaries in fighting domestic counterterrorism have changed. Although the states face the same enemy, the militaries’ role varies. Previous research has documented these differences, however research analysing why the difference exist in the first place is limited. Therefore, this study aims address this research gap by investigating variables that would explain the differences by contrasting Denmark and Sweden, two very similar cases but with differentiating roles of the military. The study builds on a theoretical framework developed through an extensive analysis of previous research, where the researcher identified four common factors connected to the role of the military. These factors (public opinion, perceived & real threat, capacities, and political will) are analysed in a comparative case study through the sampling of the empirical material including everything from opinion polls to national defence strategies between 2013 and 2018. The analysis show how differences between countries militaries role in domestic counterterrorism can be explained by how the public perceives terrorism as a threat (public opinion); how terrorism is perceived as a threat in national defence strategies (perceived & real threat); if resources are prioritised (capacities); and as a result of the political attitude towards the military’s role in domestic counterterrorism (political will). The thesis concludes that the analysis shows evidence of differences in all four variables, therefore validating the theoretical framework that a country’s response to terrorism can be explained through these four variables.