III. Changes in Europe's Geopolitical Environment Page 8
IV. The Need for a System of Collective Security Page 12
i. Fragmentation Page 12
iii. Arms Proliferation Page 14 iv. Russian Nationalism Page 15
V. Necessity of an International Coercive Mechanism Page 17
VI. NATO's Institutional Advantages Page 19
VII. NATO: More than a Military Apparatus Page 23
VIII. Creating a Broader NATO Page 28
IX. New Military Roles for NATO Page 32
X. NATO's Economic Role in Europe Page 38
XI. The Future of American Support for NATO Page 41
Early in December 1993, the last three U.S. Air Force F-111 fighter bombers in Europe took off from their base in England and flew west to be cloth-balled in Utah, Georgia and Arizona. By last February, 7,000 more American military personnel had permanently left Europe for the United States. Clearly, American influence in Europe is ebbing.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is no stranger to turmoil. It has endured countless crises ever since its formation in 1949. But after keeping its nemesis-the Soviet Union-in check for decades without actually fighting a war, the NATO alliance has now lost its common enemy and, perhaps most importantly, its confidence that the United States is willing to back up NATO commitments in Europe.
Despite concerns about its future, recent developments are giving NATO renewed relevance. The January, 1994, NATO summit in Europe identified several roles appropriate for the alliance to fulfill in order to maintain post-Cold War importance. One challenge is maintenance of the traditional role in the wake of recent Russian elections: protecting established democratic nations in Europe and buttressing the newly emerging democratic societies and deterring a potentially reassertive Moscow. Another challenge is finding ways to resolve the potential crises of eth...