NATO: Definition, Purpose, History, Members

Definition: NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is an alliance of 28 countries bordering the North Atlantic Ocean. It includes Canada, the United States, Turkey and most members of the European Union.

The United States contributes three-fourths of NATO's budget. Donald Trump said other NATO members should contribute more. He also accused it of being obsolete. He argued that it focuses on defending Europe against Russia instead of combating terrorism.

(Source: "Trump Rattles NATO With 'Obsolete' Blast," CNN, January 17, 2017.)

NATO's mission is to protect the freedom of its members. For example, on July 8, 2016,NATO announced it would send up to 4,000 troops to the Baltic states and eastern Poland. It will increase air and sea patrols to shore up its eastern front afterRussia's attack on Ukraine. (Source: "NATO Agrees toReinforce the Baltic States," Reuters, July 8, 2016.)

That includesweapons of mass destruction, terrorism, and cyber attacks.On November 16, 2015, NATO responded to theterrorist attacks in Paris. It called for a unified approach with the European Union. That's because France did notinvoke NATO'sArticle 5. That would be a formal declaration of war uponthe Islamic state group. France preferred to launch air strikes on its own. Article 5 states"...an armed attack upon one...shall be considered an attack upon them all."(Source: "NATO Addresses European Defense Agency," NATO, November 16, 2015.

"Will NATO Respond to the Paris Attacks?" The Atlantic, November 15, 2015.)

The only time NATOinvoked Article 5was after the9/11 terrorist attacks. It responded to U.S. requests for help in thewar in Afghanistan. It took the leadfrom August 2003 to December 2014. At its peak, it deployed 130,000 troops.

In 2015, it ended its combat role and began supporting Afghan troops. (Source: "NATO and Afghanistan," NATO, June 14, 2016.)

NATO's protection does not extend to member's civil wars or internal coups. On July 15, 2016, the Turkish military announced it had seized control of the government in a coup. But Turkish President Recep Erdogan announced early on July 16 that the coup had failed. As a NATO member, Turkey would receive its allies' support in the case of an attack, but not a coup. (Source: "Turkey Coup: How Does NATO Respond?" NBC News, July 16, 2016.)

NATO's second purpose is to protect the stability of the region. In those cases, it would defend non-members. On August 28,2014, NATO announcedit had photos proving that Russiainvaded Ukraine. Although Ukraine is not a member, it worked with NATO over the years. Russia's invasion of Ukraine threatenednearby NATO members. They worried they would be next because they were also former U.S.S.R. satellite countries.

As a result, NATO'sSeptember 2014 summitfocused on Russia' aggression.

President Putinvowed to create a "NewRussia" out of Ukraine's eastern region. President Obamapledged to defend countries such as Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. (Source: "U.S. Vows NATO Defense of Baltics," The Wall Street Journal, September 4, 2014.)

NATO itself admits that "Peacekeeping has become at least as difficult as peacemaking." As a result, NATO is strengthening alliances throughout the world. In the age of globalization, transatlantic peace has become a worldwide effort. Itextends beyond military might alone. (Source: "A Short History of NATO," North Atlantic Treaty Organization.)

NATO's 28 members are: Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.

Each member designates an ambassador to NATO. It supplies needed officials to serve on NATO committees. It will send the appropriate official to discuss NATO business. That includes its President, Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister, or head of Defense.

On December 1, 2015, NATO announced its first expansion since 2009. It offered membership to Montenegro. Russia responded by calling the move a strategic threat to its national security. It worries that too many Balkan countries along its border have joined NATO. (Source: "NATO Prepares for Expansion," The Wall Street Journal,December 1, 2015.)

NATO participates in three alliances. That expands its influence beyond its 28 member countries. The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council allows partners a vehicle to become NATO members.Itincludes 23 non-NATO countries that support NATO's purpose. It beganin 1991.

The Mediterranean Dialogue seeks to stabilize the Middle East. It non-NATO members include Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. It began in1994.

The Istanbul Cooperation Initiativeworks forpeace throughout the larger Middle East region.It includes four members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. They are Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. It began in 2004.

NATO cooperates with eight other countries in joint security issues. There are five in Asia. They are Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mongolia and New Zealand. There are two in the Middle East -- Afghanistan and Pakistan. (Source: "Partnerships," NATO.)

The founding members of NATO signed the North Atlantic Treaty on April 4, 1949. NATO'sprimary purpose was to defend member nations againsttroops in pro-communist countries. The United States also wanted to maintain a presence in Europe. It soughtto prevent a resurgence of aggressive nationalism and foster political union. In this way, NATO made the European Union possible. (Source: "A Short History of NATO," NATO.)

NATO and the Cold War

During the Cold War, NATO's mission expanded to prevent nuclear war. After West Germany joined NATO, theCommunist countriesformed theWarsaw Pact alliance. That included the USSR, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and EastGermany. In response, NATO adopted the "Massive Retaliation" policy. It promised to usenuclear weaponsif the Pact attacked. NATO'sdeterrence policy allowed Europe to focus oneconomic development. It didn't have to build large conventional armies.

The Soviet Union continued to build its military presence. By the end of theCold War, it was spending three times what the United Stateswas with only one-third the economic power. When theBerlin Wallfell in 1989, it was due to economic as well as ideological reasons.

After the USSR dissolved in the late 1980s, NATO's relationship with Russia thawed. In 1997, they signed the NATO-Russia Founding Act to build bilateral cooperation. In 2002, they formed the NATO-Russia Council to partner on shared security issues.

The collapse of the USSR led to unrest in its former satellite states. NATO got involved when Yugoslavia's civil war becamegenocide. NATO's initial support of aUnited Nationsnaval embargo led to the enforcement of ano-fly zone. Violations then led to a few airstrikes until September 1999. That's when NATO conducted a nine-day air campaign that ended the war. By December of that year, NATO deployed a peace-keeping force of 60,000 soldiers. That ended in 2004 when NATO transferred this function to theEuropean Union.

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NATO: Definition, Purpose, History, Members