Main articles: Aftermath of World War II, Treaty of Dunkirk, Marshall Plan, Treaty of Brussels, and Western Union (alliance) įrom the 1950s to 2003, the Strategic Commanders were the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT). In April 1951, Allied Command Europe and its headquarters ( SHAPE) were established later, four subordinate headquarters were added in Northern and Central Europe, the Southern Region, and the Mediterranean. An integrated military structure for NATO was first established in 1950 as it became clear that NATO would need to enhance its defences for the longer term against a potential Soviet attack. The structure of NATO evolved throughout the Cold War and its aftermath. Greece and Turkey joined in 1952, West Germany joined in 1955 and Spain joined in 1982. The British worked with Washington to expand the alliance into NATO in 1949, adding the United States and Canada as well as Italy, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland. The United Kingdom and France signed, in 1947, the Treaty of Dunkirk, a defensive pact, which was expanded in 1948 with the Treaty of Brussels to add the three Benelux countries ( Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) and committed them to collective defense against an armed attack for fifty years. The history of NATO begins in the immediate aftermath of World War II when British diplomacy set the stage to contain the Soviet Union and to stop the expansion of Soviet power in Europe. For NATO history with regards to enlargement, see Enlargement of NATO § Past enlargements. For the history of NATO's relations the present Russian Federation, see NATO–Russia relations. For the history of NATO's relations with the former Soviet Union, see Cold War. This article is about the overall history of NATO.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |