Introduction : beyond CSDP : the resurgence of national armed forces in Europe

Abstract

The introduction, which sets the stage for The Handbook, contends that, when it comes to European security and defence, analytical precedence should be given back to Europe’s national defence policies and armed forces. Therefore, it first addresses the different historical stages in the rise and decline of the CSDP and the transformation of national armed forces in Europe since the end of the cold war. Then, it questions the seemingly unjustified predominance of the CSDP vis-à-vis the comparative study of national defence policies in the literature on European defence. With the case made for the ‘analytical resurgence’ of national armed forces in Europe, the third section demonstrates the fruitfulness of such a demarche by summarizing the central findings of The Handbook. What emerges from the rich and diverse range of contributions in this volume is that national armed forces have regained their central importance.