Political Governance: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) (Edexcel A Level Politics): Revision Note

The significance of NATO

• The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, like the UN, originated shortly after World War 2 in 1949

  • This was near the beginning of the Cold War which saw the USA and Soviet Union as rivals for global dominance

• NATO’s aim is collective security, which means that nation states united together are more secure than individual nation states on their own

• As protection against aggressive actions, Article 5 of NATO states that an attack against one member is an attack against all

• NATO began with twelve European and North American states who felt threatened by Soviet Russia

NATO's founding member states

The significance of NATO

• NATO, like the UN, is an intergovernmental organisation which sees power in numbers and aims to preserve peace

• NATO’s original emphasis is on using the threat of a collective force as a deterrent to attack

NATO's changing role

• Over the years NATO has expanded and now has a membership of 32 nations

• Its purpose has also changed, particularly after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991

  • "Essentially, NATO not only helps to defend the territory of its members, but also engages – where possible and when necessary – to project its values further afield, prevent and manage crises, stabilise post-conflict situations, and support reconstruction." (Source: Nato website (opens in a new tab))

NATO post-1991

• The collapse of the Soviet Union, the rise of non-state actors, and Russia’s actions in Ukraine since 2014 have significantly changed the global security environment

• These developments have led to new security threats, including terrorism and increased state-based conflict

• NATO responds by strengthening deterrence and defence, managing crises and promoting cooperative security among states

  • It is involved in conflicts and crises, such as natural disasters, even when these do not directly threaten its member states

    • It is also involved in conflict prevention, conflict management and conflict resolution

  • It is no longer confined to the North Atlantic region

• NATO does not have its own standing army because member states voluntarily contribute soldiers and equipment when required

  • All NATO member states are expected to contribute 2% of their GDP to support NATO operations

  • The United States dominates in terms of financial support

    • This dominance is of concern to some who argue that the USA is really in control of NATO

NATO funding

An Evaluation of NATO