Nato Existence

International law

Has the NATO lost its original right to exist?

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Index

Introduction to the subject, NATO 3

Why was NATO started, what were the main goals and how does the 4

organisation work?

Who were involved in the beginning and how were the relations between 5

them?

The first reception: Greece and Turkey joined NATO on the 18th 7 of February 1952

The second reception: Germany joined NATO on the 5th of May in 1955 7

The third reception: Spain joined NATO on the 30th of May 1982 8

The fourth expansion: Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland joined 8

NATO on the 12th of March 1999

What happened to NATO in a recent decade? 9

CONC LUSIONS 11

Bibliography 11

Introduction in the subject, NATO.

Almost everyone knows something about NATO. It's an important name, often named during news programmes. But when was NATO actually founded? And what were the reasons to start the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation? Which countries were involved and what were their relations towards each other?

When we started searching for information, it was clear very soon that the original goal, which was to provide security against the countries of Eastern Europe, isn't the only goal nowdays. A lot has changed. But what is the new goal and is it important enough to keep NATO?

In the next pages you will find a short summary about the foundation, the original goal and the relations between the countries that were involved in the beginning. Then we will tell something about the expanding period. The last chapter before the conclusion is about NATO in the last decade, and we will end this report by giving a conclusion.

Why was NATO started, what were the main goals and how does the organisation work?

NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, was founded in 1949, on April 4th. The organisation established a system of collective security, whereby its member states agreed to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party.

The reason to form NATO was to have a strong power against the Soviet Union in the Cold War. The Treaty of Brussels, signed on 17 March 1948 by Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and the United Kingdom is considered the precursor to the NATO agreement. Though, American participation was thought necessary to be strong enough. Therefore, talks about a new military alliance began almost immediately and resulted in the NATO.

When NATO was formed, the main goal was a co-operation against attacks from states who weren't participants. This was written in Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty.

It says:

'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. Consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party of Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.'

This means that members are obliged to respond in case of an attack to one of the states, but they are free to decide how to. A military action is not obliged. This was obliged though in the Treaty of Brussels.

The first headquarters of the NATO were in London. The present one is located in Brussels. The NATO organisation exists of three departments: the civilian structure, the military structure and the department organisations and agencies. 'Nato's most important decision-making body is the North Atlantic Council which brings together representatives of 26 Allies at the level of Ambassadors, Ministers or Heads of State and Government.'

'NATO's military structure is a multinational force planning, organisation and comment system. It provides for joint planning, training, exercising and operations, under the comment of NATO's strategic headquarters.'

'NATO structures and mechanisms provide the framework for co-operation with partner countries, which forms an integral part of the day-to-day activity of the Alliance.'

Who were involved in the beginning and how were the relations between them?

The countries involved in the beginning were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. But how were the relations between these countries right after World War II?

In the beginning of World War II, the Soviet Union wanted to be on the side of the United Kingdom and France. That wasn't taken seriously, so the Soviet Union turned to Hitler, Germany. Together they made an agreement, called the 'Molotov-Ribbentroppact'. Since 22th of June 1941 the Germans fought against the Russians. This was called 'Operation Barbarossa'. The Russians were very