Geopolitics and international relations is a really big topic and it can often times seem intimidating, so I figured that when there is downtime in the world, (How much more can I say ‘Russia has added 4 more troops to the border’ before people stop watching/reading?) I will talk about general concepts or events in an attempt to help bridge the gap between my casual followers and my OPSEC followers.
If there is a topic like this that you want covered, tweet it at me!
Without further to do:
What is NATO?
NATO is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
It consists of Europe, Canada, and the United States
It does have partner states (Focusing on Partners Around The Globe)
These partner states break up into 3 categories:
Countries that aren’t in the Atlantic but are part of the US’ alliance system
Australia, Japan, South Korea, Colombia
The US and New Zealand have no formal alliance due to a falling out in the 80s, however because of NZ location and proximity to Australia - It’s just an unspoken understanding that the US will defend NZ.
Also who on the earth is going invade New Zealand but not Australia?
Countries that gained the status through war
Afghanistan and Iraq both are NATO partners.
This is because NATO troops were training Afghan soldiers and are still training Iraqi soldiers.
Pakistan is a NATO partner because they were vital to NATO during the war in Afghanistan.
Pakistan definitely backstabbed the US in Afghanistan. Pakistan sacrificed and suffered a lot in the war on terror but part of that was a mess of their own making. However, the US could not have fought the war in Afghanistan without the access Pakistan gave them.
The last category is Mongolia
Surface level answer: Mongolia is a NATO partner because it annoys Russia and China.
Deeper level answer: Mongolia holds a strategic importance to the US in advancing the Indo-Pacific region.
The US would like to strengthen ties between India and Mongolia.
Would like to utilize Mongolia as a diplomatic bridge between all the competing powers in the region.
How Does NATO Work?
There are diplomatic and political wings that promote democracy and human rights.
The military wing of NATO is the most important and largest part of it.
Article 5 is the core of NATO. Once it is activated, everyone goes to war.
Has been activated once - by the United States after 9/11.
What was the initial point of NATO?
NATO is committed to the principle that an attack against one or several of its members is considered as an attack against all.
Initially meant to defend against a Soviet Invasion
What’s the purpose of NATO now?
NATO’s core purpose is still the defense of Europe and North America.
NATO doesn’t attack but NATO has intervened in the past.
It intervenes in conflicts or disputes that threaten the stability of the region
Intervened in:
Balkans
Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait
Anti-piracy off the coast of Somalia
Libya
An unspoken benefit of NATO is that it helps prevent wars
7 of the world’s top 20 militaries are in NATO
If a NATO member attacks another member, then the rest of NATO fights the attacker. It keeps peace in Europe.
The days of France, Germany, and the UK duking it out are over. NATO isn’t keeping them from fighting, they are past that. NATO keeps Turkey and Greece from duking it for example.
Helps advance US interests
NATO helps the US focus on pivoting to Asia
If Europe and the US didn’t have a defense relationship, the US would have to spend to defend against Europe.
Both sides of the pond take the American-Euro relationship for granted.
Europe doesn’t have to worry about their former colonial property attacking them and the US can consider the Atlantic it’s “safe” ocean.
The economy goes “bur” because Europe can’t destroy itself like it used to
The US would have to spend way more on defense spending than it already does.
It creates a bloc of influence for the US.
The US’ natural sphere of influence is the Americas
NATO (along with many other factors) makes Europe the US’ backyard.
That’s really all there is to NATO.
Side Thoughts:
The United States is the core to the Western alliance (or Bloc). So much of the West is built around the US, I think it would be proper to say the West is basically just the US alliance system. The US is the friend in the friend group who has friends outside of the group so here are some thoughts on two of those friends: Japan and Australia.
Japan:
Japan doesn’t have a meaningful relationship with Europe.
There’s no bad blood or anything, there is just no reason for a relationship. France is the only European country in the Pacific still and if I recall, there is some kind of relationship there but nothing like the US and Japan.
Japan’s #1 ally is the United States.
Japan is easily the US’ #3 or #4 ally. Sadly for Japan, Canada is physically attached to the US and the UK & US are so integrated that a falling out may never happen.
Japan is to the Pacific what the UK is to the Atlantic for the United States.
Japan’s only ally is the United States
Japan because of it’s geographic location has very few neighbors and it also has very few friends.
Japan still has long standing grievances with Korea and China over atrocities that happened in the Second World war.
Japan’s only real option is “Be alone or friends with the United States”.
Australia:
Australia’s #1 ally is the United States. It is not the United Kingdom.
When there is emergency, they’re calling Washington not London.
In the words of HypoHystericalHistory - “The Australian-American relationship was forged through a lot of bloodshed”
Australia is really important to the United States.
Australia has followed the United States into every war it’s fought since World War 2.
Secondly, Australia allows the US’ European allies a way into the Pacific if war with China ever breaks out.
The US has bases in Guam, Philippines, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. The US also is a Pacific power.
The rest of Europe has nothing like that (France still has land in the Pacific) and Australia would serve as a safe staging ground for them.
Unrelated but what is with nearly every Geopolitical creator being from Australia? It’s like Michael Hillard and the Red Line Podcast crew is running a training camp down there :)