This book examines three major areas of the multinational disarmament of Germany from 1920-31: the role and experience of British, French, Italian, Belgian, and Japanese arms inspectors working amidst an embittered German populace, the ramifications of the divergent disarmament priorities of the leaders of the disarmament coalition, and the effectiveness of united international policies backed by sanctions. These issues are examined within the overall context of the assessment of Allied disarmament operations in Germany. Foreign policy considerations of the coalition nations, such as the British notion of the balance of power versus French security concerns, and their effect on military operations in Germany, are discussed throughout the narrative.

The book breaks new ground by arguing that the international disarmament of Germany after WWI was a success, not a failure as usually perceived - in short, that arms inspections worked and that they reduced Germany's ability to pose a threat to European security. This has obvious resonance with the recent events in Iraq. The book fills a gap in the historiography of European diplomatic and military history.