Introduction

This book, first published in 1985, analyses the polarization of popular opinion over NATO defence policies during the latter years of the Cold War. In many countries, the domestic consensus that once supported Allied policies came close to collapsing, and this study examines the question of the democratization of defence policy. It explores four themes for each of the Allied countries: views of the Soviet Union; deterrence; security; and the Allies. A rigorous and systematic analysis of the raw data allows for easy cross-national comparisons.