NATO Flashcards
When was the North Atlantic Treaty signed?
April 4, 1949
Why was NATO created and what does it also do now?
Originally formed to address Soviet Union; taken on new roles in post-Cold War era
What’s special about the US and NATO?
NATO was the first peacetime military alliance the United States entered into outside of the Western Hemisphere
In 1947-1948, what was happening in W. Europe that made Truman anxious?
- ongoing civil war in Greece
- tensions in Turkey; US give military and economic aid
- Soviet sponsored coup in Czechoslovakia; communist gov’t in power on borders of Germany
- Communist party in Italy made gains w/voters
What happened in mid-1948 concerning Joseph Stalin?
“Berlin Crisis;” Stalin made blockade around W. Berlin, which was surrounded by Soviet-controlled territories; US airlift prevented confrontation
Who controlled West Berlin before the blockade?
US, France, and Britain
Who signed the Brussels Treaty and when?
(5) Great Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg in March, 1948
What was the Vandenburg Resolution and when was it passed?
In May 1948, Republican Senator Arthur H. Vandenburg proposed that US would propose security treaty with W. Europe that adhered to UN charter but out of Security Council where Soviet Union held veto power
What is NATO?
North Atlantic Treaty Organization; intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty
Issues With Treaty
- U.S. Constitution gives power to Congress to declare war; W. Europe wants automatic response
- Europeans needed US help w/military
- Brussels Treaty signers wanted only US to join, but US wanted the countries of N. Atlantic
Who signed the North Atlantic Treaty?
United States, France, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and United Kingdom
After Treaty was signed, how much money did Truman’s Mutual Defense Assistance Program give to W. Europe?
$1.4 billion
Who was added to NATO after the Korean War began in 1952?
Greece and Turkey
When was Germany added to NATO?
1955
What was the name of the Soviet’s own treaty and who did it include?
Warsaw Treaty Organization included Soviet satellite states
Who was added to NATO in 1982?
Spain
Who was added to NATO in 1999?
Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland
Who was added to NATO in 2004?
Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia
Who was added to NATO in 2009?
Albania and Croatia
How many members are there currently in NATO?
28 members
What does Article 5 of the Washington Treaty state and when has it been invoked?
Article 5 states of the Washington Treaty states that an attack against one or several members in an attack against all; invoked after 9/11 attacks
What does the 2010 strategic concepts define NATO’s core tasks as?
- Collective defence
- Crisis-management
- Cooperative security.
How are NATO decisions make?
By consensus– every member state agrees. No votes.
NATO missions
Afghanistan, Kosovo, Monitoring the Mediterranean, Counter-piracy, Supporting African Union
When did the Berlin Wall fall?
1989
What happened in 1991?
NATO develops partnerships with former adversaries after the break up of the Soviet Union
Where and when was NATOs first crisis-management? operation
Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995
What did NATO do in 2005?
It took command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan
Who is the head of NATO and what are his/her responsibilities?
Secretary General:
- makes sure decisions implemented
- spokesperson and heads International Staff
- currently Norway’s Jens Stoltenberg
- 4 year term
What is the North Atlantic Council?
Principal political decision making body at NATO; meets once a week; each country has a seat; chaired by Secretary General
What are the subsets of the Military Committee?
Chiefs of Defense of NATO countries, International Military Staff, Military executive body, and the military structure
Where are the headquarters of NATO?
Brussels
What did President Clinton announce in his first trip to Europe as President?
In January 1994, Clinton said NATO enlargement was “no longer a question of whether, but when and how.”
What is Partnership for Peace?
A program announced in 1994 to strengthen ties w/central and eastern European countries, esp. former Soviet republics like Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia
What happened in the early 1990s outside of NATO countries?
Break-up of Yugoslavia and a bloody ethnic conflict
What was NATOs role in Bosnia and Hezegovina?
Started as mission to impose UN no-fly zone; then bombing of Bosnian Serb forces that helped end conflict
When was Operation Deny Flight? What happened?
April 1994; NATO conducted its 1st combat operations by shooting down a Bosnian Serb aircraft
What is NATO’s most recent mission?
Policing skies of Eastern Europe after Russia’s intervention in Ukraine
What is an example of allied countries acting outside of NATO?
Early 2011: US, France, and UK policed UN-sanctioned no fly zone in Libya; gave command to NATO in days
Who decided to decline participating in air campaign in Libya?
Germany and Poland
How is NATO military structure split?
- Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe = Mons, Belgium
2. Allied Command Transformation = Norfolk, Virginia
What is the Supreme Allied Commander Europe?
heads all NATO military operations; always U.S. flag or general officer; currently Gen. Philip M. Breedlove
How much did NATO members spend on defense in 2014? How much did the US account for this?
$850 billion; US accounted for 75% of this
What’s the history of countries and their small defense budgets?
2006- members said they would spend 2% of their GDP on defense
2012- only US, UK, Greece, and Estonia did it
2014- summit in Wales, they said to address defense problem within a decade
What happened after 9/11?
After US-led forces beat Taliban regime in Kabul, UN Security Council approve ISAF to support new Afghan gov’t
What is the practice of “national caveats?” Who was harmed by it?
when members restrict their troops from counterinsurgency and other missions; US, Canada, UK, and the Netherlands had worst fighting and casualties
When did ISAF complete its mission?
December, 2014; after 13 years of war
What happened in January, 2015?
NATO & dozen countries began non-combat support mission of 12,000 troops; training, financing, etc. to Afghan gov’t
How many Partnership for Peace members have joined as of 2015?
12
Why are Russian leaders angry at NATO expansion post-Cold War?
B/c they think it’s going back on guarantees to not expand east after German reunification after 1990
What was the Founding Act? When was it signed?
(1997) NATO and Russia established a forum for discussions
What happened in NATOs summit in 2008?
In Bucharest, alliance delayed Membership Action Plans for Ukraine and Georgia, but offered support; Russia invaded Georgia in the summer
Where did the allies establish command centers in early 2015?
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania, and Poland; they will support a new command force called Very High Readiness Joint Task Force; can respond to threats in days
Who will lead the spearhead forces in the eastern countries?
France, Germany, Spain, UK, Italy, and Poland; 2+ brigades or 30,000 troops
How many times did Allied Jets intercept Russian war planes in 2014?
More than 400 times without altercation
What is the NATO Response Force (NRF) ?
It has rotating troops that the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe can deploy w/out consensus approval
Report demands ___ billion of US dollars to Ukraine
1
Describe briefly the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Ukraine Pres. Yanukovych didn’t sign EU trade agreement under pressure from Russia; caused demonstrations; in Feb 2014, Yanukovych left position and Russian forces invaded Crimea
How did the ceasefire workout between Russia and Ukraine?
In Minsk on September 5, 2014; never fully took hold; reduced casualties; Russians have since taken 500 km of land
What was the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe Final Act & When was it?
1975 Russia agreed to respect European borders
What is the Budapest Memorandum on
Security Assurances for Ukraine & When was it?
1994 US is signatory; US, Britain, and Russia would respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and not use violence or threaten
How much money did the Ukraine Freedom Support Act authorize (but not appropriate?)
(2014) $350 million over 3 years
Fact about Ukraine causalities
Approximately 70 percent of Ukrainian casualties are
from rocket and artillery fire
