NATO

 

“The Cold War isn’t thawing; it is burning with a deadly heat. Communism isn’t sleeping; it is, as always, plotting, scheming, working, fighting.”

Richard M. Nixon

North American Treaty Organisation(NATO)

The North American Treaty Organisation was a mutual defence agreement signed 4th April 1949 with the aim of countering the military power of the USSR. Its member states agreed to respond to armed attack on any allied territory above the Tropic of Cancer.

As well as the commitment to mutual defence the treaty also brought about around 1300 Standardisation Agreements (STANAG). These covered military terminology, procedures and technology and included the adoption of the NATO phonetic alphabet and standardised small arms ammunition.

Founding member states:

Belgium
Canada
Denmark
France
Iceland
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Portugal
United Kingdom
United States

Later Members (up to 1991):

Greece (1952)
Turkey (1952)
Federal Republic of Germany (1955)
Spain (1982)