North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Left Picture: NATO Back Then
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created in 1949 with the signing of the Washington Treaty. NATO was an alliance that focused on the security of its members that included fifteen countries from Europe and North America. The Washington Treaty included different articles that held up the key fundamentals of NATO. One example is Article 5, it stated that an attack on one member is an attack against all members. The NATO allies felt threatened by the large number of Soviet Troops, and wanted a mutual defense plan. The alliance was developed to cease the Soviet communist influence.
Picture Below: NATO Now
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is still expanding today. There are 28 countries from all over North America and Europe that are included in the band of allies. NATO has even come to include several countries that once belonged to the Warsaw Pact. Today the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is still protecting its members from military aggression and political pressure.
Key Leaders:
- Hubert Pierlot: Prime Minister of Belgium
- William Lyon Mackenzie King: Prime Minister of Canada
- Christian X: King of Denmark
- Charles ce Gaulle: Head of Provisional Government of the French Republic
- Winston Churchill: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom who owned Iceland
- Alcide De Gasperi: Prime Minister of Italy
- Anton Adriaan Mussert: Lead the National Socialist Movement in The Netherlands
- Vidkun Quisling: Prime Minister of Norway
- Antonia de Oliveira Salazar: King of Portugal
- Winston Churchill: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- Harry S. Truman: President of the United States
Original Members
- Belgium
- Canada
- Denmark
- France
- Iceland
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- The Netherlands
- Norway
- Portugal
- The United Kingdom
- The United States