Introduction

The American commitment to the security of Western Europe has been one of the most enduring features of the international order which emerged in the aftermath of the Second World War. John Nott, former UK Secretary of State for Defence, argued that it was not simply the number of American troops which was important, but the fact that a cut in troop levels would be seen as symbolic of a changed American approach to European security. Consequently, it is increasingly argued that the states of Western Europe should be able to make appropriate dispositions for their own security. The discussion about augmenting conventional forces has been cast partly in terms of increasing defence budgets, with General Rogers, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, advocating a 4 per cent per annum real increase. To the extent that threats of American troop reductions are intended to galvanize the European allies into devoting more resources to defence, then the approaches are complementary. .