NATO
Organization · 1949–present
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an intergovernmental military alliance between 32 member states (thirty in Europe and two in North America), established with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949. It serves as a system of collective security and deterrence, whereby its members agree to defend each other from attack by any outside party, enshrined in Article 5, which states that an armed attack against one member shall be considered an attack against them all. Throughout the Cold War its primary purpose was deterring the Soviet Union and its satellite states, which formed the rival Warsaw Pact in 1955. Article 5 has been invoked only once, by the United States after the September 11 attacks, leading to NATO involvement in the war in Afghanistan (2001-2014).
No office holders recorded on October 5, 1786.
Offices
| Office | Holders | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Secretary General | 14 | 1952–present |
| Supreme Allied Commander Europe | 21 | 1951–present |
Relations
- Members: United States (1949–), United Kingdom (1949–), France (1949–), Canada (1949–), Belgium (1949–), Netherlands (1949–), Luxembourg (1949–), Denmark (1949–), Norway (1949–), Iceland (1949–), Italy (1949–), Portugal (1949–), Greece (1952–), Turkey (1952–), Germany (1955–), Spain (1982–), Czech Republic (1999–), Hungary (1999–), Poland (1999–), Bulgaria (2004–), Estonia (2004–), Latvia (2004–), Lithuania (2004–), Romania (2004–), Slovakia (2004–), Slovenia (2004–), Albania (2009–), Croatia (2009–), Montenegro (2017–), North Macedonia (2020–), Finland (2023–), Sweden (2024–)