ABSTRACT
The collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the eventual implosion of the Soviet Union were two of the most momentous events of the twentieth century. When Iraq under the leadership of Saddam Hussein, invaded the small but oil-rich state of Kuwait on 2 August 1990 it triggered the first major test of the post-Cold War world. In the midst of the complexities of the post-Cold War world one of the thorniest issues that successive governments have faced has been the nature of the country's relationship with Europe. The end of the Cold War presented Britain with a need to reassess its defence commitments, which since the 1968 decision to withdraw from East of Suez had been focused on defending Britain from a Soviet attack. Germany's insistence on Croatia's recognition became part of the broader Maastricht deal, with Britain acquiescing to Germany's demands in return for German support for British objectives.
