A Study Of The British Nuclear Strategy

Britain was the first state that pointed out the realistic feasibility to develop atomic bomb and decided to make it.It was also the third state which possessed the nuclear weapons in the world. Britain’s nuclear strategy has its own unique characteristics, outstanding among the medium nuclear states.The development of the weapons promotes the development of theory of strategy.The early development of British nuclear weapon has sown seeds for the British nuclear strategy,and made the physical and theoretical preparation. The formation of the British independent nuclear deterrent policy has its unique international background and strategic considerations. First of all, it was inevitable strategicly becauce the international control of atomic energy failed. Secondly, it was a strategic need in response to the Soviet threat. Thirdly, it was a strategic consideration to tie the United States and maintain the " special relationship" with the Americans. Finally, it was also to maintain the British status of great power and securety.The British nuclear strategy is always tied with the United States of America. Because of the decline of it’s own state strength and the influence of Anglo-American "special relationship", the British nuclear strategy has been swing between the pursuit of complete independence and interdependence with the United States. But ultimately it could not escape the fate of depending heavily on the United States. Thus, according to the analysis of the Anglo-American nuclear relationship, British nuclear strategy can be divided into three stages after the1958:From1958to1969, the British and the United States went to rely on each other step by step;From1969to1991, the British nuclear strategy becoming more and more dependent on the United States; In the Post-Cold War era, British nuclear strategy is in an adjusting stage."Minimum nuclear deterrence" is the main content of the British nuclear strategy and the foundation of national security strategy of the United Kingdom. Specificly,making use of it’s own deterrence to seek safety and using collective security of the Western to ensure the local safety constitute the strategic guiding ideology of British nuclear strategy;Taking the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact as the operation target during the cold war and without a fixed target after the cold war, to destroy the enemy’s surface and soft target during the cold war and to destroy single goal target mainly after the cold war,all those constitute the British nuclear power application strategy. Adhering to the limited scale, effective deterrent principles and focusing on a single strategic nuclear weapons development constitute the British nuclear power development strategy. Before the1960s to deploy nuclear weapons around the world with former colonies as strongholds,and to dispatch strategic nuclear submarine to cruise globally are the British nuclear power deployment strategy. Advocating nuclear disarmament and international control of atomic energy, participating actively in international multilateral nuclear arms control treaty and promoting nuclear disarmament and nuclear arms control between the United States and the Soviet Union are the main content of the British nuclear arms control policy.Compared with other nuclear nation’s strategies in the world, the Britain’s nuclear strategy has its own distinct characteristics, which mainly embodies in the asymmetric interdependence with the United States, paying attention to the defensiveness, emphasizing the alliance, having a tendency of retaliatory,having the fuzzy content etc.. These features reflect a strategic pursuitance of a declining power and its predicament in reality, affected deeply by its own national culture, especially culture strategy.The British nuclear decision-making mechanism is also unique. In the harsh environment of war and the early Cold War in which there were sharp hostilities between two blocs, Britain focused more on the secret of the atomic energy decision.The early British nuclear decision-making core were composed of prime minister and the Atomic Energy Advisory Committee formed by his very few ministers. The prime minister and cabinet is the core of decision mechanism, parliament is another important part of decision-making mechanism, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other relevant departments also play an important role, the relevant administrative civil severce has important influence on the whole policy,including nuclear policy. British nuclear decision-making is a result of the political power game and national interest balance, also influenced by the international environment, party politics, economic conditions, public opinion and strategic culture.The Britain’s nuclear strategy has faced a lot of difficulties and caused widespread controversy even from the beginning. After the end of the cold war, the British people and political circles are discussing extensively and paying extensive attention to the following topics:to keep" independence" of the British nuclear strategy or to depend completely on the United States? is the Britain’s nuclear deterrence effective? if the Scotland gets independence what will be the influence on British nuclear strategic? what is the role in nuclear disarmament for Britain as a nuclear power and a UN Permanent Member of the Security Council. These problem appear again and reflect that the British nuclear strategy still faces a griming dilemma.The Prospect of the British nuclear strategy is uncertain.