War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Interview with Michael Heseltine, 1987
Description:
Lord Michael Heseltine was a member of Parliament for Henley from 1974 to 2001. He held many senior political positions in the British government, including secretary of state for the environment (1979 to 1983 and 1990 to 1992), secretary for defense (1983 to 1986), president of the Board of Trade (1992 to 1995), and deputy prime minister (1995 to 1997). In the interview Heseltine conducted for War and Peace in the Nuclear Age: "Zero Hour," he describes how historically, patterns of public response to military buildup and weapons development repeat themselves. In a period of military modernization, he explains, the public is predictably often initially hesitant or even opposed. However, helping people understand modernization in the broader context of the fundamental policies of nuclear deterrence can relieve public anxiety. He describes his entry into the anti-nuclear-weapons debate and his tactics to turn public opinion against the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). Heseltine expresses his belief that the continuity of protest against Conservative Party defense decisions in the 1930s, 1960s, and 1980s require "the courage to go through with what you believe is right." In his interview, Heseltine also addresses the "twin-track" decision that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would not produce Cruise and Pershing missiles if the Soviet Union withdrew its SS-20s aimed at Europe. Heseltine sees the American commitment to Europe manifested in the 300,000 U.S. troops stationed there at the time of his interview. He concludes by reaffirming the deterrence posture to which he subscribes: that it is through the array of weapons systems and response strategies that an opponent will not risk attack against the alliance.
