| Summary: | The question of burden sharing has always been important for NATO, but this holds acute relevance today as the US cuts its defence budget over a ten-year period and is no longer willing to lead military operations. In a current situation of economic austerity and postmodern political values, this book considers whether Europe can play a key role in regional and global security and defence. When the US signals that its lead role is no longer automatic, what about the European Allies? Can they and will they undertake sharp operations on their own, assuming leading roles? Which of NATO's European allies are able militarily, and willing politically, to undertake sharp operations and to actually use force for the purpose of policy? This edited collection considers the important drivers for the use of force, namely history, political culture, economy and threat perceptions, and scrutinises these in the context of eight European NATO countries: the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Denmark and Norway. A range of international scholars discuss the crucial future role of European Allies and the impact this will have upon policy and scholarship on NATO.
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