The 1990s saw worldwide military spending plummet almost 40 per cent. The dividend that this relative peace created became available for projects to achieve clean water, agricultural productivity and education that were intended to promote greater human welfare. The early part of the 21st century however, has seen this downward pressure on defence budgets begin to turn around. This book tracks the progress of 12 countries on five continents in moving resources from defence to civilian activity in the 1990s. It is based on intensive field research and with writings from an international array of contributors. It is written in non-technical language and should be of interest to academics involved with defense economics, defense studies and development studies. It should also prove popular with international development organizations, the defence industry and policy-makers around the world.