National Armies and NATO, 1949-1991

Jan Hoffenaar, Brian McAllister Linn (eds)

National Armies and NATO, 1949-1991

The Burden of Alliance

"For almost half a century, NATO’s armies deterred a Soviet attack on Western Europe. Today, they once again provide a check on Russia's revanchist agenda. As in the Cold War, if Russia’s aggression escalates to armed conflict, the Alliance’s armies will likely bear the brunt of the fighting. Thus, a study of the national armies that comprised NATO during the Cold War has both historical and current relevance. Each chapter offers an analysis of how the respective constituent NATO army balanced its commitments to the alliance with other, often more pressing national priorities. Both individually and collectively, these chapters address questions that are still important today. How did national armies benefit from membership in NATO, and how did NATO membership impede their national obligations? How did NATO membership effect its constituent armies’ strategy, force structure, doctrine, and procurement? How did national armies reconcile disagreements with other national forces, some of which long predated NATO membership? By providing a comparative study of NATO’s armies, this volume provides both a long-needed historical assessment and essential understanding of the problems facing the alliance and its members today."
Editors

Jan Hoffenaar

Jan Hoffenaar is Head, Research Department of the Netherlands Institute of Military History (MOD) in The Hague, and professor in Military History at Utrecht University. He is specialized in the political and military aspects of the Cold War, in 'East' as well as in 'West', and in Dutch military history.

Brian McAllister Linn

Brian McAllister Linn is the Ralph R. Thomas Professor in Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University. He is the author of six books including Real Soldiering: The US Army in the Aftermath of War, 1815-1980 (2023) and over fifty articles and book chapters.
Title
National Armies and NATO, 1949-1991
Subtitle
The Burden of Alliance
Editors
Price
€ 122,00
ISBN
9789087284817
Format
Hardback
Number of pages
250
Language
English
Publication date
Dimensions
15.6 x 23.4 cm
Categories
War, Conflict and Genocide Studies
Politics and Government
Transnational and Global Studies
Discipline
History, Art History, and Archaeology
Table of Contents
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Introduction - Jan Hoffenaar and Brian McAllister Linn;
The Canadian Army and NATO, 1949-1993 - John Keess;
All shape and no arms? The Danish Army and NATO, 1949-1989 - Iben Bjørnsson;
In the shadow of the ‘force de frappe’. The French army and NATO in the Cold War - Olivier Schmitt;
The Federal Republic of Germany, the Bundeswehr, and NATO 1955-1990 - Dieter Krüger;
The Hellenic Army and NATO, 1952-1991 - Dionysios Chourchoulis;
The Royal Netherlands Army and NATO, 1949-1991 - Jan Hoffenaar;
An Era of Conflicting Commitments. Portugal’s Force Planning during the Cold War - Jorge Silva Rocha;
Spain and NATO during the Cold War - Ignacio Fuente Cobo;
A Delicate Balance between NATO and Domestic Commitments: The Turkish Military Agenda During the Cold War - Ay.e Ömür Atmaca and Zerrin Torun;
The British Army and NATO - Huw Bennett;
The US Army and NATO - Brian McAllister Linn;
Abbreviations;
About the authors;
Acknowledgements;
Index