The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), also known as the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member countries from North America and Europe. It was established through the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on April 4, 1949, in Washington, D.C.
The formation of NATO was driven by the need to counterbalance the influence of the Soviet Union and its allies in Eastern Europe, particularly after World War II. The treaty was signed by:
Over the years, NATO has expanded, with additional countries joining through various rounds of enlargement. Key expansions include:
The North Atlantic Treaty's Article 5 is the cornerstone of NATO's collective defense, stating that an attack against one or more members shall be considered an attack against all, obligating members to come to the aid of the attacked party. This principle was invoked for the first time in response to the September 11 attacks in 2001.
NATO has engaged in various operations outside its traditional North Atlantic area, including:
NATO has evolved to address new challenges:
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