A SHORT HISTORY OF NATO It is often said that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was founded in response to the threat posed by the Soviet Union. This is only partially true. In fact, the Alliance’s creation was part of a broader effort to serve three purposes: deterring Soviet expansionism, forbidding the revival of nationalist militarism in Europe through a strong North American presence on the continent, and encouraging European political integration. The aftermath of World War II saw much of Europe devastated in a way that is now difficult to envision. Approximately 36.5 million Europeans had died in the conflict, 19 million of them civilians. Refugee camps and rationing dominated daily life. In some areas, infant mortality rates were one in four. Millions of orphans wandered the burnt-out shells of former metropolises. In the German city of Hamburg alone, half a million people were homeless. In addition, Communists aided by the Soviet Union were threatening elected governments across Europe. In February 1948, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, with covert backing from the Soviet Union, overthrew the democratically elected government in that country. Then, in reaction to the democratic consolidation of West Germany, the Soviets blockaded Allied-controlled West Berlin in a bid to consolidate their hold on the German capital. The heroism of the Berlin Airlift provided future Allies with some solace, but privation remained a grave threat to freedom and stability. A Treaty For Our Age Fortunately, by then the United States had turned its back on its traditional policy of diplomatic isolationism. Aid provided through the US-funded Marshall Plan (also known as the European Recovery Program) and other means fostered a degree of economic stabilisation. European states still needed confidence in their security, however, before they would begin talking and trading with each other. Military cooperation, and the security it would bring, would have to develop in parallel with economic and political progress. With this in mind, several Western European democracies came together to implement various projects for greater military cooperation and collective defence, including the creation of the Western Union in 1948, later to become the Western European Union in 1954. In the end, it was determined that only a truly transatlantic security agreement could deter Soviet aggression while simultaneously preventing the revival of European militarism and laying the groundwork for political integration. Accordingly, after much discussion and debate, the North Atlantic Treaty was signed on 4 April, 1949. In the Treaty’s renowned Article 5, the new Allies agreed “an armed attack against one or more of them… shall be considered an attack against them all” and that following such an attack, each Ally would take “such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force” in response. Significantly, Articles 2 and 3 of the Treaty had important purposes not immediately germane to the threat of attack. Article 3 laid the foundation for cooperation in military preparedness between the Allies, and Article 2 allowed them some leeway to engage in non-military cooperation. A Political And Military Alliance Security in our daily lives is key to our well-being. NATO’s purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means. Political NATO promotes democratic values and enables members to consult and cooperate on defense and security-related issues to solve problems, build trust and, in the long run, prevent conflict. Military NATO is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes. If diplomatic efforts fail, it has the military power to undertake crisis-management operations. These are carried out under the collective defence clause of NATO's founding treaty - Article 5 of the Washington Treaty or under a United Nations mandate, alone or in cooperation with other countries and international organisations. Every day, member countries consult and take decisions on security issues at all levels and in a variety of fields. A “NATO decision” is the expression of the collective will of all 30 member countries since all decisions are taken by “consensus.” Hundreds of officials, as well as civilian and military experts, come to NATO Headquarters each day to exchange information, share ideas and help prepare decisions when needed, in cooperation with national delegations and the staff at NATO Headquarters. NATO is committed to the principle that an attack against one or several of its members is considered as an attack against all. This is the principle of collective defence, which is enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. So far, Article 5 has been invoked once - in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001. Applying the principle of consensus decision-making Consensus decision-making is a fundamental principle which has been accepted as the sole basis for decision-making in NATO since the creation of the Alliance in 1949. Consensus decision-making means that there is no voting at NATO. Consultations take place until a decision that is acceptable to all is reached. Sometimes member countries agree to disagree on an issue. In general, this negotiation process is rapid since members consult each other on a regular basis and therefore often know and understand each other's positions in advance. Facilitating the process of consultation and consensus decisionmaking is one of the NATO Secretary General's main tasks. The principle of consensus decision-making applies throughout NATO. NATO countries and when joined (alphabetical by year joined) • BELGIUM (1949) • CANADA (1949) • DENMARK (1949) • FRANCE (1949) • ICELAND (1949) • ITALY (1949) • LUXEMBOURG (1949) • NETHERLANDS (1949) • NORWAY (1949) • PORTUGAL (1949) • THE UNITED KINGDOM (1949) • THE UNITED STATES (1949) • GREECE (1952) • TURKEY (1952) • GERMANY (1955) • SPAIN (1982) • CZECH REPUBLIC (1999) • HUNGARY (1999) • POLAND (1999) • BULGARIA (2004) • ESTONIA (2004) • LATVIA (2004) • LITHUANIA (2004) • ROMANIA (2004) • SLOVAKIA (2004) • SLOVENIA (2004) • ALBANIA (2009) • CROATIA (2009) • MONTENEGRO (2017) • NORTH MACEDONIA (2020) NATO Enlargement NATO membership is open to “any other European state in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area.” NATO also has what it calls the Membership Action Plan. It helps aspiring members prepare for membership and meet key requirements by providing practical advice and targeted assistance. Partnerships 40 non-member countries work with NATO on a wide range of political and security-related issues. These countries pursue dialogue and practical cooperation with the Alliance and many contribute to NATO-led operations and missions. NATO is also cooperating with a wide network of international organizations. Partner countries do not have the same decision-making authority as member countries. NATO Key Events April 4, 1949: Signing of the Washington Treaty, Birth of NATO and the Cold War November 9, 1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall Since then, there have been significant steps taken by NATO since its inception. In 1991, the NATO developed partnerships with former adversaries after the break-up of the Soviet Union. Four years after that, in 1995, NATO engaged in its first major crisis-management operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2001, after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington DC, the US, NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time ever and adopted a broader approach to security. In 2003, NATO took command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. In 2010, NATO adopted the strategic concept of "Active Engagement, Modern Defence". And the organization celebrated it’s 72nd anniversary this year in April. The Sun Bay Paper Page 26 January 21, 2022 - January 27, 2022 International News --- What Is NATO?
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