Publisher's Synopsis
This book deals with the security of the High North, encompassing the geographic region of the Nordic countries - Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland - and also the vital northern Atlantic and Arctic sea areas touching the United States, Canada, and the Soviet Union. Its point of departure is the strategic role of the High North in the superpower context. It also assesses the impact of the US Soviet Cold War military confrontation on the national security policies of the smaller northern states. In addition, it considers the implications of present changes in European politics and in the East-West military balance for future High North security.;The volume is divided into four main sections, with contributions by American, European, and Canadian experts. The first section addresses the changing strategic significance of the High North from both historical and contemporary perspectives. The second section discusses the naval strategies of the superpowers regarding the High North. The third section contains a thorough analysis, in separate chapters, of the evolving security policies of the five Nordic countries, in their internal as well as external aspects. In the final section the desirability and feasibility of confidence-building and arms-control measures, centered on the High North maritime arena are considered.
