Analysis: NATO Treaty
The North Atlantic Treaty, signed on April 4, 1949, established NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) as a collective defense alliance among the United States, Canada, and ten European nations amid rising tensions with the Soviet Union. The treaty's cornerstone is Article 5, which commits member states to consider an armed attack against one as an attack against all, a principle that reinforces mutual defense and solidarity. This agreement emerged in the context of post-World War II anxieties over Soviet expansionism, as many European nations sought security partnerships to bolster their defense. While NATO promotes military cooperation, it also emphasizes the importance of democratic values and peaceful dispute resolution, aligning its goals with those of the United Nations. The organization has evolved from its original twelve members to twenty-eight, reflecting broader international cooperation. Article 4 of the treaty allows for consultation among members regarding military matters, highlighting NATO's role in diplomatic engagement and conflict resolution. The treaty remains a significant framework for transatlantic security collaboration, and its principles continue to shape geopolitical relations in the modern era.
Analysis: NATO Treaty
Date: April 4, 1949
Author: John D. Hickerson
Genre: government document
Summary Overview
On April 4, 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty was signed in Washington, DC, by foreign ministers from Canada, the United States, and ten European nations—Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal. Secretary of State Dean Acheson signed the treaty for the United States. The North Atlantic Treaty was a key agreement for the United States, and its fifth article was a mutual defense pact against aggression toward any of the signers, in support of which the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was established. In the context of a rising Soviet threat, the treaty served to establish a bulwark against any Soviet maneuvers in Europe.
Defining Moment
The North Atlantic Treaty was preceded by European agreements that sought to counter a perceived growing threat from the Soviet Union. In the years following the end of World War II, the Soviet Union set up Communist governments in many central and Eastern European states, and tensions were high between the Soviet Union and its erstwhile World War II allies in Western Europe. Though the Soviet Union was a member of the United Nations, the rest of Europe had reason to fear its expansionist goals. In March 1948, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg signed the Treaty of Brussels. Under this treaty, the Western Union Defence Organization was created in September 1948. The United States and Canada were not included in either of these, however, and a broader alliance between Western Europe and North America was soon underway. The North Atlantic Treaty drew on the Treaty of Brussels and the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, known as the Rio Treaty, for much of its language. (Signed in 1947, the Rio Treaty was an example of a regional agreement among the nations of the Americas.)
Members of the North Atlantic Treaty agreed to mutual defense—an armed attack against any of them would be considered an attack against all. The United Nations allowed for self-defense, and if an attack were to happen, each member nation would be obligated to assist, though there was discretion as to what type of assistance could be offered. The United Nations remained the primary means of dealing with an international crisis; however, the North Atlantic Treaty allowed for self-defense in light of an attack. Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which established mutual defense, has been invoked only once, by the United States, following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The treaty also allows its members to consult on military affairs without invoking an armed response. This provision, stated in article 4, has been invoked several times in NATO history to seek a resolution to a dispute or to determine a response to a military act. Turkey has invoked the article in conflicts with Syria, and Poland did so in 2014 to determine how to respond to Russian aggression in Crimea. NATO is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, and its membership has grown from twelve to twenty-eight countries. In addition to military security and cooperation, NATO promotes democratic values and international cooperation.
Author Biography
John Dewey Hickerson was the US diplomat responsible for much of the North Atlantic Treaty's language. He was born in Crawford, Texas, in 1898, graduated from the University of Texas, and joined the Foreign Service soon after. Hickerson served in a variety of posts in Latin American and Canada until 1928, when he became the assistant chief of the US State Department's Division of West European Affairs in Washington, DC. He held this position for twelve years, also serving on the State Department's Board of Appeals and Review from 1934 until 1941. Hickerson became the secretary of the American section of the Permanent Joint Board on Defense in 1940 and held this position through the war. He was chief of the State Department's Division of British Commonwealth Affairs and deputy director of the Office of European Affairs from 1944 to 1947, and he was deeply involved in the establishment of the United Nations. He was promoted to director of the Office of European Affairs in 1947, and in this capacity, he led the team that drafted the North Atlantic Treaty. Hickerson was the assistant secretary of state from 1949 to 1953 and then served as US ambassador to Finland and the Philippines. Hickerson retired to Washington, DC, and died in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1989.
Document Analysis
The North Atlantic Treaty begins with both a reaffirmation of the principals of the Charter of the United Nations and confirmation that this agreement is not a replacement for it. The introduction makes plain that the treaty's role is as an anti-Communist political alliance. The nations who signed it are protecting “democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law.” The treaty protects the “peace and security” of its adherents, who also resolve to settle disputes peacefully, in agreement with the founding principles of the United Nations. Signers pledge to refrain “from the threat or use of force” in their dealings with other nations. In addition, the signers will promote democracy around the world by “strengthening their free institutions” and encouraging economic cooperation. These countries will be prepared to meet an attack through vigorous self-defense and pledge to consult when “territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened.”
Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty goes to the heart of the alliance. The treaty is one of mutual defense, and, as such, an attack against any one country in the alliance will be considered an attack against all of them. The treaty stops short of requiring that assistance be rendered through armed force and leaves it to the determination of the nations involved to decide how they will respond. If the right of self-defense is invoked, the United Nations Security Council will be immediately informed and will devise a proper response. An armed NATO response is designed to provide temporary defense, while the United Nations remains the ultimate governing body. Article 6 expands the range of the territory covered under this treaty to include areas not in the North Atlantic, but under the control of member states.
Article 9 establishes the organization that is to administer the treaty and provides for a way for nations to easily consult with one another. It also calls for the immediate establishment of a “defense committee,” and invites “any other European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty” to join NATO. The treaty can be reviewed after ten years, signers can leave after twenty, and the signed treaty is to be deposited in Washington, DC.
Bibliography and Additional Reading
Gaddis, John Lewis. The Cold War: A New History. New York: Penguin, 2005. Print.
Kaplan, Lawrence S. NATO 1948: The Birth of the Transatlantic Alliance. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. Print.
“The North Atlantic Treaty.” National Archives Featured Documents. US National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2015.