Introduction

This book is about British defence policy in the period since the Second World War. The term ‘defence policy’ is widely used by both the layman and the specialist in strategic studies but its meaning is rarely defined with any precision. Despite its apparent simplicity, the term hides a multitude of activities, some of which are emphasised in some uses of the term and others in other uses. Some use the term to refer to purely military policy or operational capabilities, others to refer to strategy or strategic policy, and still others to the whole spectrum of national security policy. It may therefore be useful at the outset to try to clarify the term and provide a clear delineation of the parameters of the area of political activity covered by it.¹.