Nato American Security Policy

The question of whether NATO is central or peripheral in the security policies of major Western powers is very broad, and I would be unable to answer it proficiently within my word limit. I will therefore be using the examples of the US and Germany to narrow my answer to a more realistic field. In this essay, I will argue that NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is central to both US and German security policy. I will use evidence based upon the evolution of US security policies, and US relationships with Europe to argue that NATO is central to US security policy. Then I will use Germany’s history with NATO, and their ongoing relationship with Russia to prove that NATO is central to German security policy. I will also acknowledge …show more content…
During the Cold War, if there was ever a Soviet attack on European soil, they would have had to go through West Germany. Article V (which states “that and attack against one Ally is considered as an attack against all Allies.” ) protected West Germany through the crisis. During this time, when West Germany was being protected, it was contributing to NATO, by hosting many military troops on German land, helping to protect the rest of Europe. Germany once again proved how central NATO is to its security policy, during the Balkan Crisis, helping to stabilize the area. Germany has gone from needing NATO’s protection, to being one of the leading members of the Alliance. This proves how central NATO has been to German security policy through German history, into present …show more content…
NATO may be central to Germany’s security policy, but that does not mean that Germany is always happy about it. The situation with Russia is a clear example of this. Germany is torn between two options, and they are having to learn to take the less bad option. Germany’s alliance with NATO and the US is putting them into a difficult situation. Since the Cold War, Germany has had a very peaceful stance on security policies. Germany also gets many of its resources from Russia, who is one of their major trading partners. As Russia has been becoming more problematic for the US and NATO, Germany is having to risk its relationship with Russia. I believe that this proves more than ever how central NATO is to German security policy. Germany is now showing that it will prioritize NATO and its alliance above its relationship with