Examining the interplay between geopolitics, the strategic priorities of Europe's most powerful nations, Britain, Germany and France, and the evolution of NATO and CSDP, this book unveils the mechanics of the tension between conflict and cooperation that lies at the heart of European security politics.

With judicious and critical insight Luis Simón explains the dialectic between geography and geopolitics and the dialogue between NATO and the EU . The author has managed in a single volume to capture the highly contested and complex nature of both, as well as to explain how both may well determine the political future of the West.

• Christopher Coker, Professor of International Relations, London School of Economics and Political Science

"This valuable book illuminates the central roles of Britain, France, and Germany in shaping NATO and the European Union's Common Security and Defense Policy through the pursuit of their national geostrategic interests. It skillfully takes into account economic as well as political-military dimensions of security. Luis Simón's analysis is incisive, perceptive, and well-grounded in empirical data."

• David S. Yost, Professor, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California

"The future of Europe is a big question mark on the geopolitical landscape of the next decades. This book cogently examines how three European powers Germany, France, and Great Britain have developed their grand strategies during and after the Cold War, in particular in relation to NATO and the EU."

• Jakub Grygiel, George H.W. Bush Senior Associate Professor of International Relations, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University

Autorentext
Luis Simon is Postdoctoral Researcher, Institute for European Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium.

Inhalt
List of Maps, Tables and Figures Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Geopolitics, Grand Strategy and the EU-NATO Conundrum 2. Geopolitical Change and Grand Strategy in Cold War and Post-Cold War Europe 3. 11 September, national grand strategy and the EU-NATO conundrum 4. Iraq, national grand strategy and the EU-NATO conundrum 5. The EU-NATO conundrum in perspective 6. Conclusions