The New Europe
NATO History and
Contemporary Developments
I. History of NATO
A. Product of the Cold War
1945-49 tensions begin
to grow between SU and West
Soviets not scaling
back numbers of troops
B. Ideological aims of the
Soviet Communists – Expansionist
Imposition of
undemocratic forms of govt through undemocratic means, repression
1947-49
threats to sovereignty of Norway, Greece, Turkey and the W
1947 falsified
elections in Poland
June 1948 coup in Czechoslovakia
April 1948 Berlin
Blockade
C. Founding: Brussels Treaty of March 1948
Declares Intention of BeNeLux, Fr, UK
To
develop a common defense system
To
strengthen ties between them
To
resist threats to west
Negotiations with US and
Canada follow
Then Denmark, Iceland,
Italy, Norway, Portugal invited to participate
D. Washington Treaty – April 1949
12 Form North Atlantic
Alliance – A Defensive Alliance Based On Common Security System
1952 – Greece And Turkey
Join
1955 – W Germany Joins
1982 – Spain Joins
1992 – former East Germany
included after German reunification
1999 – Central European
Expansion (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic)
2004 – 2nd Wave
of Central and Eastern European States join
(The Baltics, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria)
E. Political Goal – to provide for peace
and stability in Europe and N America
F. Ideological goal: to safeguard the
freedom, common heritage and civilization of their peoples, founded on the
principles of democracy, indiv liberty and the rule of law
G. Article 4 of the Washington Treaty
provides for consultations among the allies whenever any of them believes that
their
territorial integrity
political independence
or
security is threatened
H. Art 5 stipulates that when one is
attacked the others are bound to defend it.
Considered an attack to all
I. Decisions taken on basis of consensus
INTERGOVERNMENTAL assoc
of free and indep states – no supranational authority
Different levels of
involvement – some send troops some don’t (eg France)
but all coordinate
security monitoring/policy
Also Cooperate In
Scientific, Environmental And Economic Spheres
II. EASTERN SECURITY – COLD
WAR
A. Warsaw Pact Forms In Response In 1949
- 7 Members
- USSR, Poland,
Hungary, Czechoslovaia, GDR, Bulgaria, Romania
B. USSR Largest Contributor
Contributed Twice As Much
As GDR
5 Times As Much As Other
Members
C. Experienced by East European satellites
as an occupying force
Used to invade
Czechoslovakia in 1968 to put an end to “Prague Spring”
D. Disbanded in 1991 upon German
reunification
Breakup of several members
III. “New Strategic
Concept”
A. New Phase Of NATO History Begins at
the Rome Summit, 1991
Established Cooperation
with CE Europe and the Former Soviet Union
Reduced reliance on nuclear
weapons
Reductions in size and
readiness of forces
** Restructuring of NATO
Forces
to
increase mobility,
flexibility,
adaptability to different contingencies
** Increased use of
multinational Rapid Reaction Corps
**Increasingly coordinate
actions with other European Orgs – EU, WEU, OSCE –
To Create A “Framework” Of
Security; A New Architecture Of Peace
B. Is this what has happened since the
1990s?
Which of the goals have
been met? Which have been undermined/ignored?
Bosnia, Kosovo examples
IV. NATO expansion
A. First Step –
Partnership For Peace
Intro-S Brussels Summit
1994
Not A Stepping Stone To
Membership
Aims
of PFP:
facilitate transparency
in national defense planning and budgeting (reduce fear/distrust)
ensure democ control of
defense forces
maintain ability to
cooperate for purps of OSCE and UN
develop coop, increase
interoperability
enhance partners
ability to conduct peacekeeping, search and rescue, humanitarian ops
to expand and intensify
political and military cooperation throughout Europe
spirit of cooperation –
eg joint training exercises – riot control, clearing mine fields, shutting down
snipers
Will
consult with any partner if it perceives a direct threat to its security
All Members of OSCE invited
to participate
Russia Sent First
Ground Troops To Joint Exercises In May 1998 (In Denmark)
B. Expansion – Open Door
Policy
First Wave:
Poland, Hung, Czech Rep
Became Members In April 1999
Second Wave:
Romania, Bulgaria, The
Baltics And Slovenia Admitted 2004
Third Wave?
NATO To Remain Open To
Future Expansions
***Provision That They
Will Give Future Members of the EU Particular
Consideration
C. Russian Resistance To
Expansion
Need To Reassure Russia –
Why?
It tends to view eastward
expansion of NATO as threat – Why?
Russian History
Invaded
500 times in last 1000 years
WWII lost 20 million
people –
Tends to think of
security in terms of space
Deeply Suspicious Of The
West
Peasant
Traditions – Suspect Any Outsider;
Because Resources
Limited – A Zero Sum Game
Resent Anyone Doing
Better Than You Are – Must Be At Your Expense (West Profiting From Russia)
Has any of this changed
with Putin, war on terror?
Russian Military
Can’t compete with West econ’ly
Military the only
means of rivalry
Psychological
compensation for poverty, backwardness
Nationalism/Patriotism
Even so, Russian military
is in dire straits
Chechnya
Submarine
fiasco
Conscripts
rarely paid, morale low
V. Why Take Russia Into Account?
Dangerous?
New Imperialism – Recapture
West – Not So Likely
Danger – Mideast?
Alliances With Iran, Iraq,
Rogue Dictators, China
Control of Oil
and Gas (W European needs)
Defection of Scientists
and Missing Plutonium Problems
VI. NATO-Russia Founding
Agreement signed Paris May 1997
Est’d
Permanent NATO-Russia Joint Council
To
Coordinate A Range Of NATO-Russian cooperation
Peacekeeping,
Defense-Related Environmental And Scientific Research/Safety Nuclear, Civil
Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Relief, Defense Conversion (Of Industry),
Nuclear Safety
Forum To Discuss Bosnia,
Kosovo, etc.