NATO Enlargement Essay, Research Paper

After World War II ended, the threat of

communism captured the attention of both North America and Western Europe.

A military operations group –called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

(NATO)– was formed to shield Western Europe from the communistic Eastern

Europe. NATO benefited for its members in four ways: it provided

the defenses of all members in case an ally was attacked; it kept a spot

for the U.S. in Europe; it helped each war-stricken European country recover

from W.W.II; and it helped contain the Soviet Union – and communism (Ullman

et al. 67).

As Western Europe has recovered from a

50-year-old war and as communism is no longer a threat to the world, NATO?s

role is now changing slightly, bringing a need for new capabilities on

the part of NATO together with a need for enlargement. While NATO

is changing its role to the world, it should also be flexible enough to

change its members. The U.S. should support NATO expansion into Central

Europe. By preventing future conflicts in Europe and by increasing

the communication lines when addressing security problems, the enlargement

of NATO would make America safer . Enlargement would put both democracy

and stability in Central Europe in place with burgeoning economics that

often follow the establishment of democracies. NATO?s military would

also be strengthened significantly.

Since both world wars took place in Europe

and many American soldiers died, the United States must prevent future

conflicts in Europe. As both of the Bosnian and Kosovar conflicts

have proven, Europe is not completely danger-free (?The Enlargement…?).

An enlarged NATO would help bring more countries into security planning.

Having more countries knowledgeable about the ideas of terrorism, weapons

proliferation, and ethnic cleansing, might lead to stable alliance deals

(?Why NATO…?).

For instance, ten major agreements among

Central European nations during this decade settled border and ethnic disputes.

What is more, most of these disputes occurred to get the attention of NATO?s

board (?The Enlargement…?). Romania began to provided protection

for ethnic minorities. Poland deepened the civilian control of the

military (?Why NATO…?). NATO addressed each situation. These

actions have not gone unnoticed by the U.S. either. By settling disputes

now, the United States will avoid future European conflicts while obtaining

security and satisfying other economic interests.

NATO?s proficiency in solving conflicts

has something to do with its structuring. To become a member of NATO, nations

have to meet certain expectations. Part of NATO?s success has to

do with its selectivity. Even though many nations applied to NATO

and only three were accepted, the nations who applied are trying to meet

the expectations in order to be allowed in. An important facet of

NATO?s success has to do with its expectations. One such expectation

is the need for a stable democratic system of government (Ullman et al.

71). All twelve countries wishing to be part of NATO have been

striving to gain stable governments and economies. If all the nations

can achieve this, and thus are allowed into NATO, the result would be a

not only larger and more efficient NATO, but a more stable and democratic

Europe.

Another facet of NATO that both the U.S.

and other NATO nations find appealing is the security provided by a stronger

military. Obviously, enlarging NATO would add more troops to the

alliance, making NATO a more efficient organization. Fore example,

Poland has already been working alongside NATO?s troops in Bosnia, giving

them the experience needed to work efficiently in the NATO military.

Poland also has the largest and most capable military in Eastern Europe

(?Secretary Cohen Speech?). Hungary, too, has worked with over 95,000

U.S. military personnel through the Hungarian air bas at Taszar.

The Czech Republic sent a 200-man decontamination unit to Desert Storm

to help U.S. troops. These three nations alone will add almost 300,000

soldiers, sailors and airmen to the alliance (?Sec. Cohen Speech?).

Some people might think of extending the military capability of NATO as

an exercise double. The truth is the only recent peace in the contemporary

world has been the work of military forces (such as NATO) in the form of

peacekeeping.

For NATO to choose not to enlarge means

a failure to live up to its potential. The alliance has the ability

to be a positive superpower to the world. As far back as the 30?s,

philosophers of the world began to feel the need for such an organization.

Pierre Teille du Jardin wrote of one world kept in peace by a strong international

force. By 1040 the leaders of the world brought that dream to reality

and NATO became real. A strong international agency, such as NATO,

can bring about stability throughout all of Europe, leading to stability

throughout the world, and only through enlargement can this stability occur

more efficiently.