Full Form of NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Full form of NATO) is a military alliance that brings together the United States, Canada, and their European allies. It was established in the aftermath of World War II to maintain peace and promote political cooperation on both sides of the Atlantic.

Composition of NATO

Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, and the United States are among NATO’s 30 members.

Each member appoints a NATO ambassador and officials to serve on NATO committees and discuss NATO matters. The president, prime minister, foreign affairs minister, or head of a defence agency are all possible designees.

What Is NATO’s Process?

NATO’s objective is to safeguard its members’ freedom and the stability of their respective regions. Weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, and cyber-attacks are among its goals.

Article 5, which specifies that “an armed attack against one Ally is deemed an attack against all Allies,” is a crucial part of the alliance. In other words, if one NATO country is attacked, all NATO countries will retaliate.

Civil wars and domestic coups are not covered by NATO’s protection. NATO, for example, did not intervene in a 2016 coup attempt in Turkey on either side of the conflict. Turkey, as a NATO member, would get backing from its partners in the event of an assault, but not in the event of a coup. NATO is supported entirely by its members.

Approximately three-quarters of NATO’s budget is funded by the United States. Only ten countries have met the desired spending level of 2% of GDP (GDP).

Following West Germany’s entry into NATO, the Warsaw Pact was formed, which included the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany. NATO retaliated by enacting the “Massive Retaliation” policy. If members of the Pact attacked, it pledged to employ nuclear weapons. Europe was able to focus on economic development because of NATO’s deterrence policy. It did not need to construct big conventional armies.

NATO’s Alliances & Partnerships

The Soviet Union kept expanding its military capabilities. It was spending three times what the US was spending at the conclusion of the Cold War, although having just one-third the economic power.

NATO is a member of three alliances that allow it to extend its reach beyond its 30 member countries. The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council is the first, and it assists allies in becoming NATO members. It consists of 20 non-NATO countries that support NATO’s goals.

It all started in 1991. The Mediterranean Dialogue aims to bring peace and stability to the Middle East. The Istanbul Cooperation Initiative promotes peace in the Middle East as a whole. It contains four Gulf Cooperation Council members. There are some very notable dates which can be said to be the organisation’s achievement.

Wrapping Up

NATO responded to the terrorist attacks in Paris on November 14, 2015. It urged the European Union, France, and NATO nations to take a coordinated stance. France did not utilize NATO’s Article 5, which would have effectively declared war on the Islamic State (ISIS). France preferred to conduct its own airstrikes. NATO reacted to US demands for assistance in the Afghan War.

From August 2003 to December 2014, it was in charge. It had a force of 130,000 troops at its peak. It ceased combat operations in 2015 and began assisting Afghan forces. Also it declared that it would withdraw those support units in June 2021.