Britain and the economic problem of the Cold War

About This Book

"Many accounts of British development since 1945 have attempted to discover why Britain experienced slower rates of economic growth than other Western European countries. The explanation for this phenomenon has been attributed to the high level of defence spending that successive British post-war governments adhered to." "By reconsidering the previously accepted explanation of the economic impact of the British defence effort during the immediate post-war period, this book convincingly suggests that British foreign policy-makers retained a large defence budget to offset a sense of increased national vulnerability, brought about by a reduction in Britain's economic strength due to her war effort. Furthermore, it is shown that although this level of military spending may have slightly hampered post-war recovery, it was not in itself responsible for the decline of the British economy."--Jacket.