In response to Russian territorial ambitions in nearby countries, Sweden and Ukraine have
expressed interest in joining the protective alliance of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
With so many countries already a part of NATO, we wanted to know more about the history and
influence of the organization.
So how powerful is NATO?
Well, after World War 2, the Soviet Union gained power and forcefully spread communism
into neighboring countries like Germany and Czechoslovakia.
NATO was created as a unified front amongst Western nations against potential Soviet aggression.
This alliance also sought to prevent future wars and devastation.
At its outset in 1949, there were 12 original NATO members, including the United States,
the United Kingdom and France.
Today, there are 28 members.
One of the most important aspects of the NATO Treaty is its mutual defense pact.
This states that any attack on a member country is viewed as an attack on them all.
This agreement was especially important during the Cold War, when it helped prevent nuclear
conflict.
The knowledge that another member of NATO would retaliate to nuclear aggression was
a key aspect of the Cold War’s “mutually assured destruction.”
After the Cold War, NATO continued to be a vital political alliance, with a focus on
global security.
Today, the organization works very closely with the European Union and the United Nations.
NATO is involved in peacekeeping missions across places like Afghanistan, Kosovo, and
various regions in Africa.
They manage ground, air and naval operations for surveillance, training, logistics, and
other crisis-management purposes.
The most recent NATO activity has been in Ukraine, after Russia illegally annexed the
Crimean peninsula.
NATO has since increased air policing missions in the area, and boosted support for neighboring
countries like the Baltic States.
So how powerful is NATO?
Well, since it’s members include the US, and several other prosperous nations, NATO
has significant resources.
The combined wealth of NATO members is more than 30 Trillion dollars and their combined
manpower totals more than 7 million troops.
It’s military spending accounts for about 70% of the WORLD’S military spending.
So, NATO is a REALLY powerful alliance.
And the threat of Russian territorial expansion may not be the worst of NATO’s problems.
According to their website, the “defining threats of the first half of the 21st century”
come from “nation-state failure and violent extremism.”
The only solution to these problems, according to NATO, is a vigorously coordinated international
response.
The United Nations is another international peacekeeping organization.
If you want to see how they compare, check it out!
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