NATO

Question 1

What is North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (1949)?

Answer 1

• Most significant treaty post-WWII.
• Committed the US to the defence of Western Europe in the case of a Soviet attack and spread of communism (militarily and nuclear).
• Recognising the war economically and militarily weakened these countries (unable to defend itself).
• 12 members - expanded to 29 by 2019 and its HQ is located in Brussels, Belgium.

Question 2

What is the key principle of NATO

Answer 2

• Article 5 = an attack on one member state shall be regarded as an attack on all member states.
• Only used once - supporting the USA after the 9/11 attacks, but its’ main aim is to protect smaller states (esp. those bordering the USSR).
• In reality, the USA has always been the dominant military power, and NATO membership can be seen as a US alliance.

Question 3

Is NATO still relevant? - No

Answer 3

• Questioned its relevancy since the end of the Cold War.
• Certain US politicians like Trump in 2016 have questioned the USA’s commitments to NATO.
• NATO is over-reliant on the USA, subsidising 2% of their GDP on defence, and this is a condition of membership. In 2015, only 5 states met this commitment like Estonia, Greece, the UK and the USA).
• USA accounts for 70% of member states’ defence budgets, reflecting its far larger military power and historic influence - appears as American Imperialism.

Question 4

Is NATO still relevant - Yes

Answer 4

• Despite the Cold War ending, supporters point to Russia’s incursion into Ukraine as evidence of a renewed Russian power and its desire to recapture lost territory (being EU and NATO members).
• In response, NATO expanded its European Response Forces, creating a new ‘spearhead force’ and establishing HQ in the Baltic and Eastern European regions - dubbed as its ‘largest reinforcement of collective defence since the Cold War’.
• Reinforced by Ukraine formally applying on Sept 30th - possibly due to NATO’s expansion.

Question 5

Russian perspective

Answer 5

In 2016, P. Putin claimed NATO represented a key national security threat to the Russian Federation as activities are moving closer to Russia’s borders.

Question 6

Security Dilemna

Answer 6

• Realism = if a power feels threatened by another, it increases its security defences and in response the other power increases its defences upon other power feeling a growing threat.
• Seen during the Cold War in the arms race.

Question 7

Military operations

Answer 7

• Founding objection was countering the USSR’s threat but NATO’s first two military operation didn’t take place until the 1990s in former Yugoslavia.
• BUT both came in a theatre of conflict and neither campaigns was carried out to protect a fellow member state.

Question 8

1995 Yugoslavia

Answer 8

• Operation Deliberate Force included airstrikes against the Bosnian Serb army that carried out massacres in ‘UN safe zones’.
• Authorised by the UNSC - a good example of UNSC using another IGO’s forces to carry out its objectives.

Question 9

1999 Yugoslavia

Answer 9

• Launched nearly 80 days of air strikes in Kosovo.
• Operation Allied Force was primarily a humanitarian mission to protect Kosovar Albanians from the armed forces of the Federal Yugoslav Republic.
• Not backed by the UNSC - Russia opposed and condemned the campaign as a breach of International Law

Question 10

After the Cold War

Answer 10

• More focus on humanitarian crises within Europe.
• After 2001 - expanded beyond its original geographic space to the Middle East/South Asia.
• Led the military no-fly zone and air strikes campaign against Colonel Gaddafi’s regime in Libya in 2001.
• Conducted counter-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean off Somalia’s coast to protect international shipping lanes.

Question 11

General summary of NATO’s usage

Answer 11

• Operations confirm that NATO is now a military alliance with a range of developments - to an extent rebranded by leaning to a more humanitarian role to remain relevant.
• With a resurgent Russia, NATO is also rediscovering and redefining its role as a collective security alliance to counter Russian aggression.

Question 12

Strengths of NATO:

Answer 12

• Realists = strong deterrent power as since 1949, USSR hasn’t risked activating Article 5 by attacking a member state.
• Maintained a strong political and military bond between the US and European democracies (especially former Russian states) - vital in creating a Western/liberal front against security challenges, especially as it pro
• NATO interventions in the Balkans deterred aggression and protected civilians. Subsequent nation-building operations by NATO have confronted ethnic and nationalist violence, securing security.
• Shared military and intelligence expertise with the Iraqi Security forces and the African Union - helped in nation-building, so discouraging conflict.
• Adapting to new threats like piracy, terrorism, weapons of mass distruction, cyber/chemical attacks and misinfo.

Question 13

Weaknesses of NATO

Answer 13

• Expansion to 29 members has significantly weakened the principle of collective security.
• Members should be democracies as it encourages the spread of liberal values. However, the Turkey/Hungary governments are increasingly autocratic.
• NATO’s ‘out of area’ interventions in Afghanistan and Libya haven’t been successful - some members like the UK were more prepared to engage than others.
• NATO’s Cardiff Summit (2014) - all agreed to spent 2% on defence but only US and 6 Europe countries reached their target in 2019, esp. as US pays 70% for NATO.
• Plans for a European Union army has challenged NATO’s role as Europe’s key defence.