NATO Flashcards
(25 cards)
What is homogenisation/monoculture?
Coming together of global cultures and development of a single, homogeneous culture without diversity or dissension.
Define hegemony.
Political, economic, or military predominance or control of one state over others.
When was NATO formed?
1949 by the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty.
List the 12 initial signatories of NATO.
- Belgium
- Canada
- Denmark
- France
- Iceland
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Portugal
- United Kingdom
- United States
What was the primary goal of NATO’s formation?
To provide collective security against the threat of military action in Europe from the Soviet bloc.
What is considered the most important article of the NATO treaty?
Article 5, which states that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
What was the situation in Europe after World War II?
Entire countries and economies were devastated, leading to fears of political instability.
What significant event marked the start of the Cold War?
The Soviet Union detonated its first atomic weapon in 1949.
What was the first Cold War proxy war?
The Korean War (1950-53).
Who was the first NATO secretary-general?
Lord Ismay.
What did Lord Ismay supposedly say about NATO’s purpose?
‘To keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down.’
When did Greece and Turkey join NATO?
1953.
What was the Warsaw Pact?
A collective security arrangement formed in 1955 by the USSR and its allies.
List some events that increased Cold War tensions.
- 1954 - Overthrow of Guatemala’s president
- 1956 - Hungarian revolution crushed
- 1961 - Berlin Wall built
- 1962 - Cuban Missile Crisis
- 1964 - Gulf of Tonkin incident
- 1979 - Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
When did Spain join NATO?
1982.
What event in 1989 marked the end of the Cold War?
The fall of the Berlin Wall.
What was NATO’s first military operation?
In Bosnia in 1995.
What triggered the invocation of Article 5 for the first time?
The 9/11 attacks.
What operation followed the invocation of Article 5?
Operation Enduring Freedom.
When did NATO maintain a presence in Afghanistan?
From 2003 to 2014.
What recent countries joined NATO?
- Sweden
- Finland
What was Russia’s view on NATO’s expansion?
It was seen as a threat and a betrayal, believing it violated agreements regarding German reunification.
What significant event occurred in Crimea in 2014?
Russian annexation of Crimea.
What were some NATO strengths?
- Members bound by values of freedom, democracy, human rights
- Achieved its purpose of deterring Soviet aggression
- Members spend about 70% of the world’s total military expenditure
- Proven military capabilities
- Technologically advanced
