Abstract/Summary

As Britain’s divested itself of Empire, the focus of its defence policy moved from worldwide responsibility to one focussed on Europe and the threat from the Warsaw Pact. During the Cold War, Britain’s defence White Papers repeatedly stated that NATO was, “…the linch pin of British Security [and] should remain the first and overriding charge on the resources available for defence…” and was, “ …fundamental to the defence of the United Kingdom…” This chapter deals with British conventional defence policy and its relationship to NATO after the adoption in 1967 of the strategy of Flexible Response (nuclear policy having been covered in details by others.) Did the British Government support fully the strategy adopted by NATO through its actions, or merely through its words?