Reforming Defence

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Summer 2010

Reforming Defence

Learning lessons from past Defence Reviews

RUSI's Third Military History and Policy Series considers the effects of previous British Defence Reviews, observing the results of differing strategies and drawing out the lessons which can learned and applied to contemporary defence policies.

Articles 

WWII union jack

Introduction

Dr Andrew Syk

Learning lessons from past Defence Reviews

 

Richard Haldane

Learning from Haldane

Professor Edward Spiers

Can Richard Haldane's reforms, responsible for the best organised expeditionary force of the twentieth century, provide a basis for the current Strategic Defence Review?

 

 

 

Thomas Inskip

Problems of Setting Strategic Priorities: The Inskip Defence Review of 1937-38

Professor George Peden

With the balance of short- and long-term requirements increasingly relevant to current defence considerations, the Inskip Defence review provides a lesson in keeping doors open.

 

Tiger ClassInter-service rivalry: British defence policy, 1956-1968

Dr Ian Speller

As we enter an era of declining access on a global scale, the UK armed forces must learn from Cold War disjointery and end its historic inter-service rivalry.

 

Winston ChurchillDodging the Bullet and Ducking the Question: British Defence Policy and its Post-Imperial World Role

Dr Oliver Daddow

After the Second World War, Britain's defence policy was based on an imperialist mindset which was outdated and overambitious. Spearheaded by Churchill, this cognitive framework continues today and is the basis for shortcomings in our current defence policy.

 

 

Click here for Series II (Spring 2010): Warring Partners
Click here for Series I (Autumn 2009): Expanding the Learning Curve



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