At the end of 1969, the first of 468 Leopard 1 tanks from the German manufacturer Kraus-Maffei were transferred to the Royal Dutch Army. The Dutch cavalrymen had waited anxiously for this new, reliable and above all, mobile tank which would partially replace Centurion. The superiority of the Warsaw Pact saw NATO forced to act in a mobile fight. In the eighties, the Leopard underwent an extensive improvement involving the military, the press and politics. After the fall of the iron curtain, and after twenty years of service, the end came for this defining tank within the Dutch Army. With hindsight, did the Leopard 1 meet its high expectations? We must be honest and say the answer is no. Why? Read the book and all will be revealed! The author, Willem Smit, affiliated with the Netherlands Institute of Military History, pays tribute to the operational deployment of this battle tank and also focuses on the development, testing, troubled service and phasing out of the Leopard 1 tank. Armoured Fist of the Royal Dutch Army is a richly illustrated book, accessible to both the uninitiated, the modeller and the enthusiast. This book was first published in 2008 in the Dutch language. The original book is now out-of-print and difficult to find, especially outside it's country of origin. This expanded English-language edition adds some new information and photos in a redesigned format.

Development of the Leopard 1 can be traced back to November 1956, when the operational requirement for a new battle tank was formulated by the Federal German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). Originally a Franco-German project, the tank under design was named the 'Standard-Panzer'. The French later dropped out, however, and on 1 October 1963 the 'Standard' tank was officially named 'Leopard', an appropriate choice considering Germany's wartime pedigree with the formidable Tiger and Panther. This book traces the development and service record of the Leopard 1, detailing its control systems, modifications and variants.

Thought-provoking reflection on culture, colonialism, and the remainders of empire in Belgium after 1960 The degree to which the late colonial era affected Europe has been long underappreciated, and only recently have European countries started to acknowledge not having come to terms with decolonisation. In Belgium, the past two decades have witnessed a growing awareness of the controversial episodes in the country’s colonial past. This volume examines the long-term effects and legacies of the colonial era on Belgium after 1960, the year the Congo gained its independence, and calls into question memories of the colonial past by focusing on the meaning and place of colonial monuments in public space. The book foregrounds the enduring presence of “empire” in everyday Belgian life in the form of permanent colonial markers in bronze and stone, lieux de mémoire of the country’s history of overseas expansion. By means of photographs and explanations of major pro-colonial memorials, as well as several obscure ones, the book reveals the surprising degree to which Belgium became infused with a colonialist spirit during the colonial era. Another key component of the analysis is an account of the varied ways in which both Dutch- and French-speaking Belgians approached the colonial past after 1960, treating memorials variously as objects of veneration, with indifference, or as symbols to be attacked or torn down. The book provides a thought-provoking reflection on culture, colonialism, and the remainders of empire in Belgium after 1960.

Development of the Leopard 1 can be traced back to November 1956, when the operational requirement for a new battle tank was formulated by the Federal German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). Originally a Franco-German project, the tank under design was named the 'Standard-Panzer'. The French later dropped out, however, and on 1 October 1963 the 'Standard' tank was officially named 'Leopard', an appropriate choice considering Germany's wartime pedigree with the formidable Tiger and Panther. This book traces the development and service record of the Leopard 1, detailing its control systems, modifications and variants.

Based on the latest research in original sources, this is an in-depth text covering the complete history of the 50-gun ship. Numerous tables of technical data covering dimensions, construction, armament and details are included.

At the end of 1969, the first of 468 Leopard 1 tanks from the German manufacturer Kraus-Maffei were transferred to the Royal Dutch Army. The Dutch cavalrymen had waited anxiously for this new, reliable and above all, mobile tank which would partially replace Centurion. The superiority of the Warsaw Pact saw NATO forced to act in a mobile fight. In the eighties, the Leopard underwent an extensive improvement involving the military, the press and politics. After the fall of the iron curtain, and after twenty years of service, the end came for this defining tank within the Dutch Army. With hindsight, did the Leopard 1 meet its high expectations? We must be honest and say the answer is no. Why? Read the book and all will be revealed The author, Willem Smit, affiliated with the Netherlands Institute of Military History, pays tribute to the operational deployment of this battle tank and also focuses on the development, testing, troubled service and phasing out of the Leopard 1 tank. Armoured Fist of the Royal Dutch Army is a richly illustrated book, accessible to both the uninitiated, the modeller and the enthusiast. This book was first published in 2008 in the Dutch language. The original book is now out-of-print and difficult to find, especially outside it's country of origin. This expanded English-language edition adds some new information and photos in a redesigned format.