Interpretations of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, 1949-2002
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Authors
Klima, Kenneth T.
Subjects
NATO
Article 5
North Atlantic Treaty
Washington Treaty
Collective defense
US-European relationship
Article 5
North Atlantic Treaty
Washington Treaty
Collective defense
US-European relationship
Advisors
Abenheim, Donald
Yost, David
Date of Issue
2002-03
Date
March 2002
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
This thesis analyzes various interpretations of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty since 1949. These variations reflect the evolving conceptions of the national security interests of the NATO Allies. Three historical periods are studied: the Cold War, 1949 to 1989; the post-Cold War, 1989 to 10 September 2001; and since 11 September 2001. The collective defense commitment in Article 5 was the foundation principle of the Alliance. During the Cold War, however, interpretations of collective defense necessarily required adaptation to remain relevant. The adaptability constructed during the Cold War yielded to broader concepts of threats and risks in the post-Cold War period. Following the first invocation of Article 5 due to the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, the actions taken by NATO and the individual Allies demonstrate the value of NATO's collective defense principles. The adaptability of Article 5 throughout NATO's history thus far suggests that in the future it will remain a highly valued and integral component of the Alliance's approach to security.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
National Security Affairs (NSA)
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
x, 95 p. ;
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.