NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a group of 32 countries working together for safety and peace. Thirty of these countries are in Europe, and two are in North America. NATO was created in 1949, right after World War II, to help countries protect each other. If one country is attacked, all the others will help defend it. This idea is called collective security.

During the Cold War, NATO’s main job was to stand strong against the Soviet Union and its friends. After the Soviet Union ended in 1991, NATO started new missions, like helping in wars in Bosnia and Kosovo. After the September 11 attacks in 2001, NATO helped the United States in Afghanistan. NATO has also helped in Libya and trained troops in Iraq.

NATO has grown over time, with many new countries joining. Today, countries like Finland and Sweden have joined because they want to be part of this safety group. NATO works to make sure all its members feel safe and strong by sharing resources and supporting each other.

History

Main article: History of NATO

NATO began with an agreement called the Atlantic Charter in 1941 between the United States and the United Kingdom. This agreement helped set up ways for countries to work together after World War II without taking land from each other. In 1947, France and the UK signed a treaty to help protect each other, and soon more countries joined. In 1949, many of these countries, plus the US, Canada, and others, signed the North Atlantic Treaty, creating NATO.

NATO didn’t do much until the Korean War began, which led to NATO creating a military structure. Over time, more countries joined, and NATO grew. During the Cold War, NATO and another group called the Warsaw Pact were on opposite sides. After the Cold War ended, NATO changed its focus and helped in places like Bosnia and Yugoslavia.

In more recent years, NATO has dealt with new challenges, such as the situation with Russia and helping members work together better. NATO continues to change to meet new needs and keep its members safe.

Military operations

Main article: List of NATO operations

Early operations

No military operations were done by NATO during the Cold War. After the Cold War ended, the first operations, Anchor Guard in 1990 and Ace Guard in 1991, began because of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Aircraft were sent to watch over southeastern Turkey, and later a quick-reaction force was sent to the area.

Bosnia and Herzegovina intervention

The Bosnian War began in 1992, after the breakup of Yugoslavia. The fighting got worse, so the United Nations allowed its members to enforce a no-fly zone over central Bosnia and Herzegovina. NATO started enforcing this ban on 12 April 1993 with Operation Deny Flight. From June 1993 until October 1996, Operation Sharp Guard added maritime enforcement of the arms embargo and economic sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. On 28 February 1994, NATO took its first wartime action by shooting down four Bosnian Serb aircraft that broke the no-fly zone.

In August 1995, a two-week NATO bombing campaign, Operation Deliberate Force, began against military forces, after a serious event. More NATO air strikes helped end the wars, leading to the Dayton Agreement in November 1995. NATO then sent a peacekeeping force, under Operation Joint Endeavor, named IFOR. Almost 60,000 NATO troops joined forces from other countries in this mission. This later changed into the smaller SFOR, which ran from December 1996 until December 2004, when operations passed to the European Union Force Althea. NATO also began giving out a service medal, the NATO Medal, for these operations.

Kosovo intervention

To help stop attacks on people in Kosovo, the UN Security Council passed a resolution on 23 September 1998 demanding a ceasefire.

Talks broke down on 23 March 1999, and NATO began a 78-day bombing campaign on 24 March 1999. Operation Allied Force targeted military capabilities. During the crisis, NATO also sent one of its reaction forces to Albania to help refugees from Kosovo.

The campaign was criticized for some mistakes, including bombing the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, and questions about whether it had approval. The US, the UK, and most NATO countries did not want to need UN approval for NATO military strikes, while France and some others said the alliance needed UN approval. The US/UK side said this would weaken the alliance, and they noted that Russia and China could block strikes on Yugoslavia and future conflicts, making the alliance useless. NATO adopted the Alliance Strategic Concept during its Washington summit in April 1999 to focus on preventing conflict and managing crises.

Milošević agreed to an international peace plan on 3 June 1999, ending the war. On 11 June, he accepted a UN resolution, and NATO helped set up the KFOR peacekeeping force. Nearly one million refugees had fled Kosovo, and KFOR's job was to protect aid missions and stop violence. In August–September 2001, NATO also disarmed ethnic Albanian militias in the Republic of Macedonia. As of 2023, around 4,500 KFOR soldiers from 27 countries still operate in the area.

War in Afghanistan

Main articles: International Security Assistance Force and War in Afghanistan

The September 11 attacks in the US caused NATO to use Article 5 of the NATO Charter for the first time. The Article says that an attack on any member is an attack on all. NATO agreed to this on 4 October 2001.

NATO showed unity: on 16 April 2003, NATO agreed to take command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which included troops from 42 countries. The decision came at the request of Germany and the Netherlands, the two countries leading ISAF at the time, and all nineteen NATO ambassadors approved it. The handover of control to NATO happened on 11 August, and it was the first time NATO took charge of a mission outside the north Atlantic area.

ISAF was first in charge of keeping Kabul and nearby areas safe from certain groups, so the new government could start. In October 2003, the UN Security Council allowed the ISAF mission to grow through Afghanistan, and ISAF expanded the mission in four main stages across the country.

On 31 July 2006, ISAF also took over military operations in the south of Afghanistan from a US-led group. Because fighting was intense in the south, in 2011 France moved a squadron of aircraft to Kandahar to help the alliance. During its 2012 Chicago Summit, NATO agreed to end the Afghanistan war and remove NATO-led ISAF Forces by the end of December 2014. ISAF ended in December 2014 and was replaced by the training Resolute Support Mission.

On 14 April 2021, NATO said the alliance had agreed to start withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan by 1 May. Soon after the withdrawal of NATO troops started, militants took over most of Afghanistan and reached the capital city of Kabul. Some politicians in NATO member states called the quick withdrawal of Western troops from Afghanistan and the change in the country the greatest problem NATO has faced since it started.

Iraq training mission

In August 2004, during the Iraq War, NATO formed the NATO Training Mission – Iraq, a training mission to help Iraqi security forces together with the US-led group. The NATO Training Mission-Iraq (NTM-I) started because the Iraqi Interim Government asked for help, under a UN Security Council Resolution. The goal of NTM-I was to help build Iraqi security forces training structures and institutions. NTM-I was not a combat mission but a training mission, under the political control of the North Atlantic Council. The mission officially ended on 17 December 2011.

Turkey called for meetings in 2003 at the start of the Iraq War. Turkey also called for this twice in 2012 during the Syrian civil war, after an unarmed Turkish aircraft was shot down, and after a mortar was fired at Turkey from Syria, and again in 2015 after threats by a group to its country.

Gulf of Aden anti-piracy

Main article: Operation Ocean Shield

In 2008 the UN Secretary-General asked member-states to protect ships that were part of a mission in Somalia.

The North Atlantic Council and other countries, including Russia, China and South Korea, formed Operation Ocean Shield. The operation aimed to stop pirate attacks, protect ships, and increase security in the region. Starting on 17 August 2009, NATO sent warships to protect sea traffic in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean from Somali pirates, and help make navies and coast guards in the area stronger.

Libya intervention

Main article: 2011 military intervention in Libya

During the Libyan Civil War, fighting between people and the Libyan government under Colonel Muammar Gaddafi got worse. On 17 March 2011, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution that called for a ceasefire and allowed military action to protect people. A group that included several NATO members began enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya shortly afterwards, starting with an operation by the French Air Force on 19 March.

On 20 March 2011, NATO states agreed to enforce an arms embargo against Libya with Operation Unified Protector using ships from NATO groups, and additional ships and submarines from NATO members. They would "monitor, report and, if needed, stop vessels thought to carry illegal arms or certain people".

On 24 March, NATO agreed to take control of the no-fly zone from the first group, while command of targeting ground units stayed with the group's forces. NATO began officially enforcing the UN resolution on 27 March 2011 with help from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. By June, some members of NATO were not taking part in combat operations, and US Defense Secretary Robert Gates asked countries such as Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Turkey, and Germany to help more, while those countries said that NATO had gone beyond its job in the conflict. In his last speech in Brussels on 10 June, Gates criticized allied countries, saying their actions could cause the end of NATO. The German government talked about "a big German contribution to NATO and NATO-led operations" and said this help was valued by President Obama.

While the mission was continued into September, Norway said that day (10 June) it would start to reduce help and finish by 1 August. Earlier that week it was reported Danish air fighters were running out of bombs. The next week, the head of the British navy said the country's operations in the conflict were not able to continue. By the end of the mission in October 2011, after the death of Colonel Gaddafi, NATO planes had flown about 9,500 strike sorties against targets. A report from the group Human Rights Watch in May 2012 found at least 72 civilians were killed in the campaign.

After an attempt to change the government in October 2013, the Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan asked NATO for technical help and trainers to assist with security issues. NATO agreed to create a small team in Brussels to help Libya make its security forces stronger.

Turkish border

Main article: Operation Active Fence

Use of Article 5 has been threatened many times and four out of seven official meetings have been called because of effects in Turkey from the Syrian civil war. In April 2012, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan thought about using Article 5 of the NATO treaty to protect Turkish national security in a dispute over the Syrian civil war. The alliance answered quickly, and a spokesperson said the alliance was "watching the situation very closely and will keep watching it" and "takes protecting its members very seriously."

After the shooting down of a Turkish military jet by Syria in June 2012 and Syrian forces shelling Turkish cities in October 2012 resulting in two meetings, NATO approved Operation Active Fence. In the past ten years the conflict has only grown. In response to a bombing in 2015, which Turkey blamed on a group, and other security issues along its southern border, Turkey asked for a special meeting. The latest meeting happened in February 2020, because of increasing tensions due to attacks in Northwestern Syria, which involved attacks on Turkish troops, and risked direct fighting between Russia and a NATO member.

Eastern flank

Main article: Operation Eastern Sentry

Operation Eastern Sentry is a NATO military action started in response to Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace in September 2025. The action aims to strengthen the alliance's eastern flank and stop more attacks. Many member states are sending military tools, including fighter jets and navy units, to improve air and land defense. Eastern Sentry is made to give a quick and flexible answer to threats, with a focus on stopping drone technology.

Membership

Main article: Member states of NATO

NATO has thirty-two members, mostly in Europe with two in North America. These members work together to protect each other. The idea is that if one member is attacked, all members will help defend against that attack.

The members include countries such as Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, and many more. Some joined when NATO first started in 1949, while others joined later.

Partnerships with third countries

Main article: Foreign relations of NATO

The Partnership for Peace programme began in 1994. It allows countries to work with NATO in different ways, choosing how much they want to participate. Many countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States are part of this.

The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council started on May 29, 1997. It helps all partner countries talk and work together regularly. The Partnership for Peace is a part of this council.

The European Union (EU) and NATO made an agreement on December 16, 2002. This lets the EU use NATO's resources if NATO decides not to act in a crisis.

NATO also works with countries around the Mediterranean Sea through the Mediterranean Dialogue, started in 1994. This includes Israel and countries in North Africa. In 2004, NATO began the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative to talk with countries in the Middle East. Qatar asked to join NATO in 2018, but NATO said only European countries can join.

NATO has talked with Japan since 1990 and has increased its contacts with many other countries. In 2000, these countries were called "Contact Countries". By 2012, they were known as "global partners" and meet to discuss important issues. Australia and New Zealand are global partners and part of another alliance called AUSCANNZUKUS. NATO also works with Colombia, the only Latin American country to cooperate with NATO.

Structure

Main article: Structure of NATO

All parts of NATO work together in two main groups: civilian and military. They help keep NATO strong and safe.

The civilian part of NATO includes:

• The North Atlantic Council (NAC) is the main decision-making group in NATO. It includes leaders from each member country. The NAC meets often to decide on important matters. A special leader called the secretary general chairs these meetings. Decisions are made by agreement, not by voting.

• The NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) sets big goals for NATO. It meets twice a year and includes leaders from the parliaments of NATO countries.

• NATO headquarters is located in Brussels, Belgium. It has staff from all member countries.

The military part of NATO includes:

• The Military Committee (MC) gives advice on military matters. It is made up of top military leaders from each member country.

• Allied Command Operations (ACO) handles all of NATO's operations around the world.

• There are special forces ready to move quickly, like the Eurocorps and others, that report to Allied Command Operations.

• Allied Command Transformation (ACT) focuses on training and changing how NATO forces work.