The Reform of NATO and the Free World’s Security Pact
Reforming the structure does not go to the heart of the problem. A new understanding has to be reached among the allies that takes into consideration the political, economic and technical changes of the last decade.
“We, the peoples of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war ... to live together in peace with one another as good neighbors and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security … have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish these aims.”
Such are the core ideas behind the birth of the United Nations (UN) organization in June 1945. These ideas are the product of weariness and wariness about new wars breaking out, as well as of the realization that, in spite of divergences, the world is tending towards unity. Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had his own vision of this new interdependency, intended to establish its rules. Unfortunately, the UN organization and its Security Council proved inadequate in attempting to suppress or simply ease the mounting tension between the communist states and the Free World. Hence the profound deception that followed, since much hope had been placed in the United Nations. Faced with the frenzied aggressiveness of world communism – led by Moscow – it was becoming essential to equip the Free World with an efficient security system.
NATO’s purpose
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is the most important regional pact concluded within this system and the United States is the main protagonist behind the creation of this pact. Similar imperatives underlie the creation of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), the Baghdad Pact (renamed the Central Treaty Organization, CENTO) and the security pact signed between the United States and Japan, as well as the United States’ intervention in Korea under the United Nations flag. In terms of Western policy, this system – one that is not closed on itself – is the practical consequence of the ‘containment’ policy. This ‘containment’ policy is the policy that all too easily replaced ‘rollback’ – the driving back, with varying degrees of violence, of world communism from the positions it had gained through strength or cunning. The containment policy, on the other hand, held steadfast against all attempts to replace it with a policy of retreat.
When the North Atlantic Treaty was signed on 4th April 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany did not yet exist, but the fact that the world was split into two was perhaps more obvious than it is 15 years later. […]
OUTLINE
- NATO’s purpose
- International changes and the transformation of NATO
- Burden-sharing, geographic limits and Alliance globalization
Eugen Gerstenmaier (1906-1986) distinguished himself by taking part in German resistance to Nazism through the Kreisau Circle, which was responsible for the attempted assassination of Hitler on 20th July 1944. He was a member of the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and President of the Bundestag between 1954 and 1969.
The paper is translated by Clémence Sebag.
Available in:
Themes and regions
Share
Download the full analysis
This page contains only a summary of our work. If you would like to have access to all the information from our research on the subject, you can download the full version in PDF format.
The Reform of NATO and the Free World’s Security Pact
Author(s)
Find out more
Discover all our analyses
The Waning of Universalism
During the 19th century, Westerners provided ideological justifications for their colonization, namely spreading the Enlightenment across the globe. This project was received favorably until the second half of the 20th century. Over the last 20 years, it has met new hostility. The “universal values” promoted by the West are viewed today as a form of imperialism to be opposed – especially by China, Russia and Turkey.
The Future of the International Monetary and Financial System
Following the collapse of the Bretton Woods system, the international community sought new stability in the financial system and the assurance of sustained growth. The crisis that began in 2007-2008 has revealed weaknesses that affected advanced economies first and foremost. Efforts have since been made to consolidate the international financial architecture, to coordinate macroeconomic policy, and to improve foreign exchange relations, even if this latter objective has proven complex.
International trade disagreements: Beyond Trump
The trade war between the United States and China is not only due to Donald Trump’s impulsiveness. Its roots are in fact profound and follow three structural changes in the multilateral trading system: the reversal of comparative advantages, the now central role of certain developing countries, and the re-balancing of power that makes coordination between states difficult. In this context, the future of world trade has yet to be written.
Poverty and Inequality through 2030
Thanks to strong economic growth, poverty has tended to fall worldwide. But the trend is not sufficient to eradicate poverty by 2030. For this, growth would have to rise further and inequalities fall. Non-economic dimensions of well-being, such as education and health, also need to be taken into account. This assumes that governments in particular have the capacity to invest in public infrastructures.