ABSTRACT
The signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in April 1949 did not immediately create the complex political and military system that existed in 1967. The Korean War in 1950 led to the creation of a permanent military command structure, although negotiations over which nation would command various headquarters were often difficult. In 1952 the political side of the Alliance acquired a key figure – the Secretary General – and an international staff. The Alliance’s strategy for defending its territory also evolved during this period, because building sufficient conventional forces to match those of the Soviet Union proved impossible and nuclear weapons offered a less expensive way to defend the Alliance’s territory. NATO’s evolution was not always easy, as it faced external and internal crises that culminated in France’s withdrawal from the integrated military command structure in 1966, resulting in major changes for NATO’s organisation and strategy in the year that followed.
