НАТО, или Организация стран Североатлантического block - a military-political alliance created in 1949 as a counterbalance to the growing danger emanating from the Soviet Union, which pursued a policy of supporting communist movements in Europe. First, the organization included 12 states - ten European countries, as well as the USA and Canada. Now NATO is the largest alliance, consisting of 28 countries.
A few years after the end of the war, inlate 40s, there was a danger of new international conflicts - there was a coup in Czechoslovakia, in the countries of Eastern Europe, non-democratic regimes were established. Governments of Western European countries were concerned about the growing military power of the Soviet Union and direct threats to Norway, Greece, and other states. In 1948, five Western European countries signed the Treaty of Intent to create a unified system for the protection of their sovereignty, which later became the basis for the design of the North Atlantic alliance.
The main goal of the organization was to ensuresecurity of its members and political integration of European countries. Over the years of its existence, NATO has several times adopted new members. At the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century, after the collapse of the USSR and the Organization of the Warsaw Treaty countries, the North Atlantic bloc adopted several Eastern European countries and former Soviet republics that increased the number of troops of NATO countries.
The duration of the agreement between the member countriesNATO at the time of its signing was determined at twenty years, but it was provided for its automatic extension. The text of the treaty stressed the obligation not to carry out actions that are contrary to the UN Charter, to promote international security. A strategy of "containment" was proclaimed, which was based on the concept of "shield and sword". The basis of the "deterrence" policy was to make the military power of the alliance. One of the ideologists of this strategy stressed that from five regions around the world with the possibility of creating military might - the United States, Great Britain, the USSR, Japan and Germany - one is controlled by the Communists. Therefore, the main goal of the policy of "containment" was to prevent the spread of the ideas of communism to other regions.
The stated concept was based onthe US superiority in the possession of nuclear weapons. The retaliatory blow to aggression was the possible use of nuclear weapons of small destructive power. Under the "shield" is meant the land forces of Europe with strong support from aviation and the navy, and the "sword" - US strategic bombers with nuclear weapons on board. According to this understanding, the following tasks were considered:
1. The United States had to carry out strategic bombardments.
2. The main naval operations were carried out by the US and Allied naval forces.
3. The number of NATO troops provided mobilization in Europe.
4. The main forces of short-range air defense and air defense also provided European countries led by Great Britain and France.
5. The remaining countries, which are members of NATO, were to assist in solving special tasks.
However, in 1950 there was an attack by the NorthKorea to the South. This military conflict showed the insufficiency and limitations of the "containment" strategy. It was necessary to develop a new strategy that would be a continuation of the concept. It was the "advanced defense" strategy, according to which it was decided to create the United Armed Forces of the bloc - the coalition forces of the NATO member states stationed in Europe under a single command. The development of the United forces of the bloc can be conditionally divided into four periods.
The NATO Council developed a "short" plan,designed for four years. It was built on the possibility of using those military resources that at that time were available to NATO: the number of troops was 12 divisions, about 400 aircraft, a certain number of ships. The plan provided for the possibility of a conflict in the near future and the withdrawal of troops to the borders of Western Europe and the Atlantic ports. Simultaneously, the development of "medium" and "long-term" plans was conducted. The first of them provided for the maintenance of armed forces in a state of combat readiness, and in the event of a military conflict, the deterrence of enemy forces to the Rhine River. The second was designed to prepare for a probable "big war", which provided for the conduct of major military operations already east of the Rhine.
As a result of these decisions, in three years the number ofNATO troops grew from four million in 1950 to 6.8 million. The number of US regular armed forces has also increased - from 1.5 million people in two years it has grown 2.5 times. Characteristic in this period is the transition to the strategy of "massive retaliation". The United States no longer had a monopoly on nuclear weapons, but they had superiority in means of delivery, as well as in quantity, which gave them some advantages in a probable war. This strategy presupposed the conduct of a total nuclear war against the Soviet Union. Therefore, the US saw its task in strengthening strategic aviation for delivering nuclear strikes on the enemy's deep rear areas.
The beginning of the second period of the history of developmentThe armed forces of the bloc can be considered the signing of the Paris Agreements of 1954. According to the doctrine of limited war, it was decided to provide European countries with short-range and long-range missiles. The role of the combined ground forces of the Allies as one of the constituent parts of the NATO system has grown. The establishment of missile bases on the territory of European countries was envisaged.
The total number of NATO troops was more than 90divisions, more than three thousand means of delivery of nuclear weapons. In 1955, the OVR - the Warsaw Treaty Organization was created, a few months later the first summit was held, devoted to the problems of detente. In these years there was a certain warming in relations between the US and the USSR, nevertheless the arms race continued.
In 1960, the number of troops in NATO totaledmore than five million people. If we add to them reserve units, territorial formations and the national guard, the total number of NATO troops amounted to more than 9.5 million people, about five hundred operational missile systems and more than 25,000 tanks, about 8,000 aircraft, of which 25% carriers of nuclear weapons on board and two thousand warships.
The third period was characterized by a new strategy"Flexible response" and the rearmament of the combined forces. In the 1960s, the international situation again became aggravated. There was a Berlin and the Caribbean crises, then there were the events of the Prague Spring. A five-year plan for the development of the armed forces was adopted, providing for the creation of a single fund for communication systems and other measures.
In the 70 years of the 20th century the fourth period beganthe development of the united forces of the coalition and adopted the next concept of "decapitation strike", which set as the first priority the destruction of the enemy's communication centers, so that he did not have time to make a decision about the retaliatory strike. On the basis of this concept, the production of the newest generation of cruise missiles was launched, with a high accuracy of predetermined targets. NATO troops in Europe, the number of which increased every year, could not but alarm the Soviet Union. Therefore, he also proceeded to modernize the delivery of nuclear weapons. And after the introduction of Soviet troops into Afghanistan, a new aggravation of relations began. However, with the coming to power in the Soviet Union of the new leadership, a radical turn took place in the country's international policy, and in the late 1990s an end was brought to the end of the Cold War.
As part of the reorganization of NATO forces by 2006It was planned to create a NATO Response Force with a strength of 21,000 troops representing the Army, Air Force and Navy. These troops had to possess all the necessary means to conduct operations of any intensity. The Rapid Reaction Force will include units of national armies, replacing each other every six months. The bulk of the military force was to be provided by Spain, France and Germany, as well as the United States. It was also necessary to improve the command structure by types of armed forces, reducing the number of control bodies by 30%. If we consider the number of NATO troops in Europe by years and compare these figures, we can see a significant reduction in the number of weapons that the alliance held in Europe. The United States began to withdraw its troops from Europe, part of them were transferred home, and some - to other regions.
In the 1990s, NATO consultations beganpartners in the programs "Partnership for Peace" - it was attended by Russia and the "Mediterranean Dialogue". Within the framework of these programs, the organization decided to admit new members to the organization - former Eastern European states. In 1999, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary joined NATO, as a result of which the unit received 360,000 troops, more than 500 military aircraft and helicopters, fifty battle ships, approximately 7,500 tanks and other equipment.
The second expansion wave added to block sevencountries - four Eastern European, as well as the former Baltic republics of the Soviet Union. As a result, the number of NATO troops in Eastern Europe increased by 142 thousand more people, 344 aircraft, more than 1,500 tanks and several dozens of warships.
These events were negatively perceived in Russia,The terrorist attack of 2001 and the emergence of international terrorism again brought the positions of Russia and NATO closer together. The Russian Federation has provided its airspace to the airplanes of the block for bombing in Afghanistan. At the same time, Russia opposed the expansion of NATO to the east and the entry into its composition of the former Soviet republics. Particularly strong contradictions between them arose in connection with Ukraine and Georgia. Prospects for NATO-Russia relations are of concern to many today, and different points of view are expressed on this issue. The number of troops of NATO and Russia is almost comparable. Nobody seriously represents the military confrontation of these forces, and in the future it is necessary to search for options for dialogue and the adoption of compromise solutions.
Since the 90s of the 20th century, NATO has participatedin several local conflicts. The first of these was Operation Desert Storm. When, in August 1990, the armed forces of Iraq entered Kuwait, it was decided to transfer the multinational forces there and a powerful group was created. The number of NATO troops in Operation Desert Storm amounted to more than two thousand aircraft with a stock of materiel, 20 strategic bombers, more than 1,700 tactical aircraft and about 500 decked aircraft. The entire air force was transferred under the command of the 9th Air Force of the United States Air Force. After lengthy bombardments, the ground forces of the coalition defeated Iraq.
The North Atlantic bloc also participated inpeacekeeping operations in areas of the former Yugoslavia. With the sanction of the UN Security Council in December 1995, the ground forces of the Alliance were brought into Bosnia and Herzegovina to prevent military clashes between communities. After performing the air operation with the code name "Power of Thought," the war was ended by the Dayton Agreement. In 1998-1999 during the armed conflict in the southern province of Kosovo and Metohija, a peacekeeping contingent under the command of NATO was introduced, the number of troops was 49,500 people. In 2001, in the armed conflict in Macedonia, active actions by the European Union and the North Atlantic bloc forced the parties to sign the Ohrid Agreement. NATO’s major operations are also Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Libya.
In early 2010, NATO adopted a new strategic concept, according to which the North Atlantic bloc should continue to address three main tasks. It:
To date, the number of NATO troops in the worldaccording to the data of 2015, it is 1.5 million soldiers, of which 990 thousand are American troops. Joint rapid response units comprise 30 thousand people, they are complemented by airborne and other special units. These armed forces can arrive as intended in a short time - within 3-10 days.
Russia and the member states of the alliance leadongoing political dialogue on critical security issues. The Russia-NATO Council has set up working groups for cooperation in various fields. Despite the differences, both sides are aware of the need to find common priorities in international security.
