David Miller - The Cold War - A Military History

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van Cleave, W., and Cohen, S. T., Tactical Nuclear Weapons: An Examination of the Issues (Macdonald and Jane’s, London, 1978)

Walmer, Max, An Illustrated Guide to Strategic Weapons (Salamander Books, London, 1988)

Wiener, F., Die Armeen der Warschauer-Pakt-Staaten (Verlag Carl Ueberreuter, Vienna, 1974)

Woff, R. (ed.), Warsaw Pact High Command (Jane’s Information Group, London, 1989)

Wynn, H., The RAF Strategic Deterrent Forces: 1946–1969 (Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, London, 1994)

Yost, David S., France’s Deterrent Posture and Security in Europe, Part I: Capabilities and Doctrine (International Institute for Strategic Studies, London, Adelphi Paper No. 194, winter 1984/85)

The Falklands Campaign: The Lessons (Cmnd 8758, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, London, 1982)

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NATO and the Warsaw Pact: Force Comparisons (NATO Information Services, Brussels; issued in 1982, 1983, 1984)

Soviet Military Power (US Department of Defense, Washington DC; issued in 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990)

Soviet Naval Exercises: 1960–1984 (NATO Information Service, Brussels, 1985)

Texts of Final Communiques, 1949–74, 1975–80, 1981–5, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 (NATO Information Service, Brussels, published the following year)

United States Military Posture for FY 1983 (The Organization of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff, Washington DC, 1982)

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Documents held in the British Public Record Office are acknowledged in the notes with the prefix ‘PRO’.

David Miller’s entire 36-year military career in the British army was spent, like the careers of countless others, under the threat of the Cold War. This book is the result of first-hand experience at the time and of extensive research since. A freelance journalist and author, he has published 25 previous books, most of them on defence subjects.

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

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Copyright © David Miller 1998

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First published in Great Britain by John Murray 1998

Pimlico edition 2001

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ISBN 0-7126-6477-7

When attending the dedication of France’s new, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which is named after the general, I enquired about the correct spelling of the name. The general’s son informed me that his father had wished the ‘De’ to be capitalized, and I see no reason not to follow this advice.

The official description of the defence organization is given in Appendix 1.

Finland was permitted 34,000 in the army, 4,000 in the navy, and 3,000 in the air force (including any naval air arm), while equipment limits included 10,000 tonnes of warships and sixty aircraft. Submarines and bombers were totally prohibited.

These talks were classified Top Secret, but as a junior British representative was the notorious spy Donald Maclean it seems probable that the Soviet leadership knew as much of what was discussed as did London, Ottawa and Washington.

The full text of the North Atlantic Treaty is given in Appendix 2.

The ‘tripwire’ strategy, which had been promulgated in the USA by President Eisenhower on 12 January 1955 and was endorsed by NATO the following year, involved instant massive retaliation in response to any Soviet aggression.

This also happened, by chance, to be the first ministerial meeting at NATO’s new headquarters in Brussels, where it had moved to from Fontainebleau.

The number of members was based (approximately) on population: Belgium 7; Canada 12; Denmark 5; France 18; Federal Republic of Germany 18; Greece 7; Iceland 3; Italy 18; Luxembourg 3; Netherlands 7; Norway 5; Portugal 7; Spain 12; Turkey 12; UK 18; USA 36.

This was the public position. There are, however, strong reasons for believing that there was a degree of covert co-operation. France, the UK and the USA, for example, would have needed to ensure that their ballistic-missile submarines’ patrol areas did not clash.