NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization

 North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO)
Military or defense alliance formed in 1949 by
12 countries in Western Europe and North
America
Original purpose to protect its members from a
possible attack from the Soviet Union (Containment)
First peacetime alliance in U.S. history
An alliance of nations with shared values. All
members are DEMOCRACIES
Has been the most important U.S. alliance for
the past (almost) 60 years
 NATO Treaty Article 5
The Parties agree that an armed attack against
one or more of them in Europe or North America
shall be considered an attack against them all
No NATO member was ever attacked during the
Cold War it never had to use its military forces
The first (and only) time a NATO member was
attacked was
September 11, 2001
 Who is in NATO?
1949 12 Original Members
U.S. Canada Britain
France Iceland Portugal
Belgium Netherlands Luxembourg
1952 A Little Farther from the North Atlantic
(Demonstration of Truman Doctrine)

Greece Turkey
1954 A New Democracy
Germany
1982 Death of Fascist Dictator Franco
Spain
The NATO Alliance
 The Warsaw Pact
1955 - The Soviet response to the creation
of NATO
Consisted of the Soviet Union and its six
satellite countries in Eastern Europe
East Germany
Poland
Hungary
Czechoslovakia
Bulgaria
Romania
The Warsaw Pact no longer exists
 Eastward Expansion
As democracy spread throughout Eastern Europe,
NATO is adding new members
1999 Three former Warsaw Pact members were
admitted into NATO
Poland
Hungary
The Czech Republic
2002 Seven former communist states in Eastern
Europe added
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
Slovenia
Slovakia
Bulgaria
 2002
How do
you
think
Russia
feels
about
this?
 NATO-Russia Council
NATO-Russia Council
This was a RAPPROCHEMENT between NATO
and Russia
May 2002 Both sides signed an agreement
Russia WILL:
Be given a say at the table with the 26 NATO
members
Be an equal partner in discussions on key topics
 NATO-Russia Council
Russia WILL NOT:
Be a member of NATO
Be bound by NATOs defense pact
Have a veto over NATOs decisions
Have a vote over NATOs expansion