Getting Defence Priorities Right

Abstract

For centuries the basis for the protection of the interests of Britain has been the need to ensure that the continent of Europe is not dominated by a power that is unfriendly towards us. That was the basis of opposition to France in the time of Louis XIV and XV and of Napoleon Bonaparte, and to Germany under Kaiser Wilhelm II and Hitler. It is the fundamental reason why we welcomed the foundation of NATO, the threat from Germany having been replaced by that from the Soviet Union. Throughout our history a rival view of the priority for our strategy has been urged: that we should turn our backs on the continent and concentrate our efforts on securing trading advantage and access to raw materials across the oceans, in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the South and Western Atlantic. That strategy brought some significant successes, as well as some notable failures; but it has never been able to preserve our fundamental interests and security, if alliances on the continent of Europe have failed us.