2017-04-04 Tue

Post World War II, the nations of Europe struggled to rebuild their economy and ensure their security. Cold-War politics between the Socialists- United States (US) and the Communists- Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was at its height and the desire to be the only superpower constant.

According to the US, an economically strong, re-armed and well integrated Europe was vital to prevent the expansion of Communism across the continent. Post World War II, Germany was divided between the Allied Forces and USSR, but the Berlin Crisis brought US and USSR to the brink of conflict. This resulted in the introduction of Marshall Plan and consecutive signing of the Brussels Treaty (March 1948).

To avoid the Western European Nations from seeking security with USSR, the Truman Administration (under President Harry S. Truman) considered the possibility of forming a European-American alliance outside United Nations; and hence the negotiations for the North Atlantic Treaty began.

The Brussels Treaty signatories preferred that membership in the alliance be restricted to the members of that treaty plus the US. US negotiators felt enlarging the new treaty to include the countries of the North Atlantic, including Canada, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Ireland, and Portugal would be more beneficial. Together, these countries held territory that formed a bridge between the opposite shores of the Atlantic Ocean, which would facilitate military action if it became necessary.

The discussions concluded on 4th April 1949 and foreign ministers of 12 countries in North America and Western Europe signed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It was primarily a security pact and all nations agreed in “Article 5” that ‘an attack against one Ally is considered as an attack against all Allies’ (invoked for the first time after the attacks of 9/11). For the first time since the 1700s, the US had formally tied its security to that of nations in Europe–the continent that had served as the breaking point for both world wars.

This provoked USSR to form the Warsaw Pact (14th May 1955) along with other communist nations as a response to NATO.

India is not a part of NATO as it is nowhere even close to the Atlantic, it avoids the formation of allied groups to gang up on other countries and it has never faced existential threats.

Royal Mail issued this 1’6 British Shilling commemorative stamp of the flag of NATO member countries on 2nd April 1969.