UK and NATO

What is NATO? What does it do, and how has Britain contributed to it? An organisation that remains integral to the balance of geopolitics, NATO is an institution that was formed after World War II and has an enduring legacy that continues today.

NATO Purpose

After World War II, North American and European countries created the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) to deal with the perceived threat of the Soviet Union, whose armies were stationed in Central to Eastern Europe along the "Iron Curtain". The founding members were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the UK and the USA.

Fig. 1 - NATO summit 2014

Not only did NATO bring United States funding to Europe to compete on a military level with the Soviet Union, but the Treaty also had some key articles which have endured in their importance.

• Article 5 stated that an armed attack against one NATO country represented an attack against all countries. Thus, NATO's armies would offer military protection to members.
• Article 6 clarified that an armed attack would constitute NATO territory OR in any area of Europe if NATO occupation forces are provoked.

History of NATO

NATO emerged as an organisation as a result of the Soviet threat in Europe. Here we will look at its origins and some key events in its history before examining the role of the UK in the Treaty.

From the inception of NATO to the present day, the UK has remained steadfast and unwavering in its commitment to the NATO alliance. It has provided active participation in hours of need and also negotiated difficult moments, most notably the Suez Canal Crisis. Let's examine some different ways that the UK has helped and taken part in the activities of NATO.

Key Figures

Ernest Bevin

Ernest Bevin was the Foreign Secretary of Britain in the immediate aftermath of World War II. He was instrumental in the Treaty of Brussels, which acted as a statement of intent to the United States that strong alliances needed to be forged in the face of the Soviet Union. With the French government in disarray in 1948, it was Bevin who carried the torch to the North American countries and strongly advocated their military aid. A compromise was reached with President Truman, with the addition of Article 5 providing adequate protection to Europe. Such was the role of the UK in brokering the Treaty that the first headquarters of the organisation was in London.

Bernard Law Montgomery

As we have already noted, the Soviet Union dominated the major roles within the Warsaw Pact. This was not the case in NATO as exemplified by Field Marshal Montgomery, who became NATO's first Deputy Supreme Allied Commander for Europe. Working under Supreme Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower of the United States, "Monty" was a decorated war veteran of World War II. He was known for his pragmatic and calculated approach and held the post from 1951 to 1958.

Lord Ismay

Lord Ismay was the first Security General of NATO in 1952. Once the headquarters of NATO had been moved to Paris, the alliance determined that a British man should hold this new position. He was instrumental in the administration of the organisation and the fostering of public support in the participating countries. After retiring in 1957, his enduring legacy can be recognised in the four-compass point logo that he left behind. He also oversaw the famous "caravan of peace" that toured the UK and educated the public about different countries involved in the alliance.

Lord Carrington

Another important British figure in NATO was Lord Carrington. He served as the sixth Secretary-General from 1984 to 1988 and the final British one of the Cold War. He helped emphasise the importance of communication with the Soviet Union to President Reagan and encouraged him to sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force Treaty with Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987. This was vital in diminishing the nuclear threat in Europe that had lingered for decades.

Fig. 3 - Lord Carrington

Military Contribution

Britain routinely contributes troops to different NATO missions around the world. Their first significant land contribution in Europe was in West Germany. The British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) stood as protection for Western Europe from Soviet aggression from 1949, with around 55,000 troops stationed near the "Iron Curtain". Under NATO command from 1952, they remained active until 1992, on effective standby should they be required. In 1984, Exercise Lionheart saw 130,000 troops descend on the region to test their battle routines amid escalating Cold War tensions.

In addition, Britain has provided some key sites with a variety of different purposes for NATO. Their first central location was in London, but this was later moved to France and then Belgium. The most important of these which is currently functioning is at Northwood in London, which has been used since 1953 and serves as the headquarters for NATO's maritime operations. Communication depots in Scotland (Argyll and Bute) make Britain one of the eight countries where NATO has such offices. Lastly, since 1954 Britain has deployed NATO nuclear weapons on its territory.

Financial Contribution

NATO targets spending of 2% of a member state's GDP a year to help contribute to defence, ranging from operations to troops and other costs. The UK routinely meets this target and has actually increased its contribution from 2% in 2015 to 2.25% by 2021¹. It is important to consider that the target is not compulsory, though it does act as a show of commitment to the organisation. Other countries such as France regularly fall below this target. In fact, only eight of the 30 member states met this total in 2021. This may dramatically change in 2022 with the ongoing situation in Ukraine.

UK and NATO after Brexit

The Brexit vote has left some confusion about the future role of the UK in NATO. The European Union (EU) has its own defence organisation, the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), but NATO's operations regularly carry out missions on its behalf due to the financial and organisational muscle that it possesses. It is predicted that London may find itself in an isolated position, needing to provide more aid to maintain influence within NATO.

We can already see the increase from 2015 (pre-Brexit) to 2021. The issue is that Britain is no longer in the EU decision-making process, where it was previously a key player. France and Germany are keen to fill this vacuum. Furthermore, as NATO funding is dominated by the United States, there may be little substance in Theresa May's "Global Britain" suggestion unless it contributes an even greater percentage of its GDP to show its commitment.

Expert on Britain in NATO and the EU

As an extension of NATO when it comes to defence, it is vital that Britain continue to keep close ties with the EU to avoid isolation. This needs to be done through action and not words for the country to continue to be relevant on a global stage.