Defence Organisation Since the War

This volume recapitulates the developments in defence organizations from the early 1900s to the years up to World War II, covering the CID, the COS and the JIC and the experimental appointment of a Minister for Co-ordination Defence. Professor Watt examines Churchill's conduct of the war as Minister of Defence without a ministry - working through the COS, the Defence Committee and the War Cabinet. He describes the establishment of a Ministry of Defence from 1947, with a co-ordinating/advisory role, in spite of the diminished status of the service ministries, whose ministerial heads were from then on excluded from the Cabinet. He also examines the problems resulting from Britain's position as a member of overseas alliances, NATO, CENTO, SEATO and the UK/US special relationship. The study also deals with the effect of domestic economic difficulties on world-wide defence committments, and the continuing efforts to strengthen central control of defence (Macmillan, Duncan Sandys and the 1958 White paper). The book concludes wtih the 1964 reorganization based on the Ismay/Jacob recommendations, with a unified Ministry of Defence at last, incorporating the historic service ministers of state.