The Military Committee Of The North Atlantic Alliance

Focusing on the Military Committee of the North Atlantic Alliance and its role in shaping NATO, this book examines the development in Western societies of structures for Allied civil-military relationships and their influence on Western alliance since 1914. As Bland states in his introduction, The need for a Military Committee composed of national Chiefs of Defense was recognized during the early discussions of NATO organizations. However, the concept approved in September 1949 by Foreign Ministers has not been subject to much analysis since that date. As the Military Committee is composed of the chiefs of defense of most NATO nations, it represents a powerful influence on the NATO policy process. Filling the void of information on the Military Committee, this book undertakes the difficult task of measuring the Committee's influence in the policy processes of NATO. Concluding with recommendations for the reorganization and Europeanization of NATO's military structure, including the disbandment of Allied Command Europe and the office of SACEUR in favor of a regional European structure, this book challenges the appropriateness of the present military structure of NATO. This conclusion is linked to the idea that America should reduce its commitments to Europe and that they should be taken over by Europeans. Bland addresses and challenges current suggestions about how such a devolution of responsibilities should take place. Students and scholars of military studies, military officers, and officials who study and work in the North Atlantic Alliance, will find this book a source of new insight and valuable information.

Despite momentous change, NATO remains a crucial safeguard of security and peace. Today’s North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with nearly thirty members and a global reach, differs strikingly from the alliance of twelve created in 1949 to “keep the Americans in, the Russians out, and the Germans down.” These differences are not simply the result of the Cold War’s end, 9/11, or recent twenty-first-century developments but represent a more general pattern of adaptability first seen in the incorporation of Germany as a full member of the alliance in the early 1950s. Unlike other enduring post–World War II institutions that continue to reflect the international politics of their founding era, NATO stands out for the boldness and frequency of its transformations over the past seventy years. In this compelling book, Seth A. Johnston presents readers with a detailed examination of how NATO adapts. Nearly every aspect of NATO—including its missions, functional scope, size, and membership—is profoundly different than at the organization’s founding. Using a theoretical framework of “critical junctures” to explain changes in NATO’s organization and strategy throughout its history, Johnston argues that the alliance’s own bureaucratic actors played important and often overlooked roles in these adaptations. Touching on renewed confrontation between Russia and the West, which has reignited the debate about NATO’s relevance, as well as a quarter century of post–Cold War rapprochement and more than a decade of expeditionary effort in Afghanistan, How NATO Adapts explores how crises from Ukraine to Syria have again made NATO’s capacity for adaptation a defining aspect of European and international security. Students, scholars, and policy practitioners will find this a useful resource for understanding NATO, transatlantic relations, and security in Europe and North America, as well as theories about change in international institutions.

Continuing to provide a concise approach to this crucial organization, the second edition of The North Atlantic Treaty Organization: The Enduring Alliance is fully updated to take in the developments since 2007, with key additions including: Discussion of NATO’s place in a changing world Consideration of recent operations on the alliance Evaluation of the impact of the financial crisis Reconsideration of the NATO-EU relationship Discussion of the US pivot to Asia-Pacific and its impact on NATO The implications for NATO of Russia’s action in Ukraine The rise of emerging security challenges, including Islamic State A new chapter looking to the future of NATO in light of the recent developments Highlighting the continued importance of NATO in the international arena, this accessible guide details the origins, institutions, workings and activities of the organization, as well as contributing valuable insights to the debate surrounding the future of the alliance.

Milloy challenges the view that creating greater alliance unity has usually been only a Canadian preoccupation - other members, notably the United States and Britain, displayed a sincere interest as well - and further suggests that Canadian actions sometimes acted as an impediment. He argues that the idea failed partly because the lack of an agreed-upon definition for NATO's non-military potential hampered focused discussion. With NATO facing a post-9/11 relevancy crisis, Milloy shows that there are parallels to the inter-alliance struggles of the 1950s and that many of the early frustrations and obstacles are still present.

The most powerful military alliance in history, NATO shaped the geopolitical contours of the Cold War and continues to structure the contemporary international system. The NATO agreement is reprinted here with speeches and essential historical documents concerning the alliance’s founding and subsequent evolution. Accompanying essays by major scholars discuss debates about NATO’s evolving governance, its role in nuclear politics, and its appropriate mission during and since the Cold War.