While the post-World War II era has often been characterized as a period when the United Kingdom was in an inevitable decline as a world power, Britain remained at the forefront of technological developments. Unwilling to be solely reliant upon imported technology, particularly from the U.S., British engineers sought to ensure that Britain remained an independent and viable force in aviation. However, economic reality soon set in. The 1957 Defense White Paper produced by the Conservative government has long been viewed as the catalyst for the major cull of the UK aviation industry that soon came about. In truth, this was but a single event in an ongoing process that saw many promising projects foundering due to changes in threats, technology, and economic realities.