The Nuclear Planning Group, established in 1967, has been concerned with some of the most vital aspects of NATO military planning both for deterrence and for war. This 1983 book discusses in detail the issues faced and the policies formulated by this NATO sub-committee. Dr Buteux examines the role of political consultation in dealing with the problems created by the decision in the 1950s to base NATO military planning on the availability and possible use of nuclear weapons actually deployed in Western Europe. This detailed consideration of the interaction of strategic and political factors provides a background of authoritative information greatly useful for any debate on the history and deployment of nuclear weapons. Its important contribution to the understanding of the issues and polices of the arms control questions makes it essential reading for all engaged in the study of European nuclear disarmament movement or of the conflicting government orthodoxies.
Contents
Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Preface; 1. The impact of nuclear weapons on NATO: the problem of nuclear sharing; 2. The origins of the Nuclear Planning Group; 3. The early years: 1967–9; 4. The evolution of the Nuclear Planning Group: 1970–4; 5. New directions: 1975–80; 6. Consultation and the Nuclear Planning Group; 7. The strategic implications of theatre nuclear weapons; Notes; Bibliography; Index.
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