NATO marks 70 years

Apr 4, 1949: U.S., Canada and 10 West European states sign North Atlantic Treaty

1955: West Germany joins NATO – Soviet Union and seven East European states form Warsaw Pact

1966: France pulls out of NATO’s integrated military structure in protest at dominance of U.S. commanders

1967: NATO moves HQ from France to Belgium

1987: U.S. and USSR sign Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty

1989: Fall of Berlin Wall

1991: Warsaw Pact dissolved

1995: NATO launches first military operation – airstrikes against Bosnian Serbs shelling Sarajevo

1999: NATO conducts air strikes against Yugoslavia over Kosovo – first use of force without UN approval

2001: NATO invokes Article 5 for first time, declaring 9/11 attacks on U.S. to be attack against whole alliance

2003: NATO takes control of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan – first major operation outside Europe

2007: NATO-member Estonia comes under first known cyber-attack on entire nation

2008: Moscow occupies around fifth of Georgia’s territory after five-day war

2009: France announces return to NATO’s military command
NATO begins anti-piracy patrol off Horn of Africa

2011: NATO takes on responsibility for enforcing no-fly zone over Libya

2014: Russia annexes Crimea, prompting biggest East-West showdown since Cold War
NATO members commit to spending 2% of GDP on defence by 2024

2018: NATO opens new headquarters in Brussels

Feb 2019: U.S. and Russia suspend compliance with INF treaty

Apr 3: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (above) addresses U.S. Congress as alliance celebrates 70th anniversary


NATO membership
Founders (1949)
1950-2000
2000-present
To join in 2020
NATO battlegroups deployed since 2017

Canada
U.S.
Iceland

500km 300 miles

Ireland
UK
North Sea
ATLANTIC OCEAN
Portugal
Spain
Mediterranean Sea
Netherlands
Belgium
France
Norwegian Sea
Norway
Sweden
Finland
Denmark
Germany
Lux.
Switz.
Slovenia
Italy
Croatia
Austria
Baltic Sea
Poland
Czech Rep.
Slovakia
Hungary
Bosnia
Serbia
Montenegro
Kosovo
Albania
North Macedonia
Greece
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
Kaliningrad (Russia)
Belarus
Ukraine
Moldova
Romania
Bulgaria
RUSSIA
Black Sea
Crimea
Georgia
Turkey
Syria
Libya


Sources: Stratfor, Reuters, BBC 
Picture: Newscom 
© GRAPHIC NEWS