Founding of NATO

The anti-Hitler coalition between the Western Powers of the United States, Great Britain and France and the Soviet Union was finally shattered. The „Cold War“ began to dominate East-West relations and would determine global politics for the coming four decades.

© Hulton Archives The Nato founder members, 1949

On 4 April 1949, the USA, Canada and ten European nations found the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). This military alliance is intended to counterbalance the Communist countries’ „Warsaw Pact“. In the event of an attack on any member nation, all others are obliged to come to its aid. For that purpose the respective national armed forces are subject to a unified NATO supreme command.