Despite their different experiences during the Second World War Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden are often regarded as, in many ways, similar welfare states. However, their approach to the EU and Nato in matters of security and defence politics, differs and this indicates that they might not be that similar after all. But they have all been active contributors to the efforts of conflict management by the international community. Providing military units to peace support operations all over the globe is consequently yet another similarity. In this book the strategic decision making procedures of the four states are explored and compared.