Summary:
This report explores two historical case studies in which a British government sought to initiate a grand strategic turn. The first looks at the decision to delay the opening of a ‘Second Front’ during the Second Word War, a policy which was determined, in part, by the circumstances present in the early years of the war. The second historical study explores the difficulties encountered within Parliament and among allies as the United Kingdom sought to withdraw from ‘East of Suez’ during the Cold War. In examining the background and delivery of these strategies, the study highlights three important aspects of implementation—namely, the need to manage allies’ expectations, the dangers of an effective ‘veto’ power from domestic stakeholders, and the necessity of embracing uncertainty as a strategy is delivered in practice.
