The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was established shortly after World War II in 1949. The original members consisted of ten Western European countries, the United States, and Canada. These countries formed to alliance to further the goal of security in the North Atlantic region, they did this by ingraining the principal that an attack against one member would be considered an attack against all, and thus, all would respond with support to the offended nation. In 1952 NATO began its first round of enlargement of the early alliances history, letting in Turkey and Portugal (which at the time was a dictatorship). | The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was established shortly after World War II in 1949. The original members consisted of ten Western European countries, the United States, and Canada. These countries formed to alliance to further the goal of security in the North Atlantic region, they did this by ingraining the principal that an attack against one member would be considered an attack against all, and thus, all would respond with support to the offended nation. In 1952 NATO began its first round of enlargement of the early alliances history, letting in Turkey and Portugal (which at the time was a dictatorship). |