Danish and Norwegian Responses to the Star Wars Programme

Ronald Reagan’s unveiling of the Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) in March 1983 was arguably one of the most notable developments of the so-called Second Cold War. Besides a focus on the United States and the Soviet Union and debates on the influence of SDI to the end of the Cold War, SDI has comparatively remained understudied. A new book changes that. Based on newly declassified archival sources "NATO and the Strategic Defence Initiative" provides a fully international re-evaluation of SDI and its impact on Alliance relations and civil society.

Jakob Linnet Schmidt contributes with a chapter on Danish and Norwegian responses. Schmidt's chapter shows that SDI became a burden on efforts to re-establish national security policy consensus in Denmark and Norway. The political parties in both countries had a widespread negative view of SDI and a fear of the initiative leading to a dangerous new arms race but disagreed on how to promote this view. Considerations for the United States, critical opposition parties and different views within the coalition governments caused the centre-right governments to pursue a policy of low-voiced scepticism, arguing it would be most influential. Being aware that their opposition was unlikely to have an effect on the US administration, the social democratic parties suggested a policy of outspoken opposition as they found it important to manifest their disapproval of the project.

Jakob Linnet Schmidt’s chapter shows in detail how international developments, domestic disputes and Danish-Norwegian dynamics shapes national SDI policies and led to the two countries ‘footnoting’ NATO communiqués regarding SDI in 1986. His chapter also shows that the United States reacted more harshly to the Norwegian Labour Party government than the Danish government who could argue, and did, that Danish SDI policy was decided by parliament against the will of the government.