Introduction

The introduction sets the overall framework for the book, which treats the joining into the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) as an important threshold both in terms of international order, especially nuclear order, and in terms of alliance management. This book treats the major NATO countries, namely US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, and another major ally of US, Japan, and looks at how these countries dealt with the difficult choices that faced them in the late 1960s. Central to the considerations of these countries were security concerns. Each sought the best realistic combination of solutions in order to ensure the security of their country in nuclear age.