Nuclear Weapons and British Strategic Planning, 1955-1958 (Nuclear History Program)

During the 1950s nuclear weapons began to play an increasingly important role in Britain's defense policy. The development of thermonuclear bombs and assessments of the great destruction that would result from an exchange of nuclear warheads helped alter Britain's planning for war, and influenced the structure and deployment of her armed forces. In this study, Martin Navias seeks to analyze the significance of the 1957 White Paper on Defense in the context of British strategic planning during the mid-1950s. He assesses claims that the White Paper represented a culmination of trends already prevalent in British defense planning, discusses whether the basis for a truly independent deterrent was established during 1955-56, and identifies continuities in strategic policies. Nuclear Weapons and British Strategic Planning 1955-1958 will be an invaluable work of reference on a key period in the development of post-war British defense policy.