key term - North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Definition

NATO is a military alliance formed in 1949 comprising 30 member countries from North America and Europe committed to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party. It plays a significant role in international peacekeeping, crisis management, and promoting democratic values across member states.

Related terms

Collective Security:

A system in which states agree to take joint action against threats to peace and attacks against any member state.

Article 5: The clause within the NATO treaty that commits members to consider an armed attack against one or more of them as an attack against all, requiring collective defense actions.

Peacekeeping Operations: Military or civilian operations intended to maintain peace and security in post-conflict areas or regions experiencing instability, often under the auspices of international organizations like the United Nations