Chapter One. Introduction. Small States In A Big World

Abstract

One of the primary responsibilities of any state is the development of a political-military strategy which meets the circumstances in which that state finds itself, the manner in which the state perceives its own position in its international relations, and the level of its ambitions in this. In the context of this volume the term 'small states' denotes those states that viewed themselves as such and that did not play an active role in the powerpolitical controversies of the European great powers. Th e present volume shows that a comparative approach can considerably increase our understanding of the neutrality policy of the small European states and the importance of the armed forces in this in the early decades of the previous century. At the end of the nineteenth century it was a useful, respected and not too problematical instrument for ensuring national security. Keywords: European; military strategy; political strategy; powerpolitical controversies; small states