This book analyses the extent to which national strategic cultures of EU member states are compatible both with one another and the emerging multinational consensus expressed in the EU"s European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). The juxtaposition of ESDP and national strategic culture generates a map of adaptation pressures faced by EU member governments. Case studies of Austria, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom are matched with exploratory analysis of Denmark, Ireland, Spain, and Sweden. National strategic cultures define the realm of what is possible regarding national adaptation to international change in defence policy. The EU level serves as an intermediary level between the domestic and the international arenas.