We provide a historical perspective on ‘military state capitalism’, with application to Myanmar, a nation whose economic and political history cannot be understood without reference to the dominant role of its military forces (Tatmadaw) and the business interests of military ruling elites. We provide a place and context sensitive analysis of how state capitalism manifests under particular institutional and political conditions, and how these conditions shape market development and the strategic responses of business firms. Our study identifies, defines, and attempts to map military state capitalism as a variant of state capitalism. We provide a unique theoretical application to the field by conceptualizing military state capitalism as a ‘limited access order’ which is characterized by the centrality of the military in the state, and the capacity to translate coercive power to economic returns and benefits for military elites.
