12 March 1999
TEXT: NATO CHRONOLOGY 1947-1999
(From March 4, 1947-March 12, 1999) (880) Following is the NATO Chronology compiled by the State Dept.: (begin text) Released by the Bureau of Public Affairs, March 12, 1999 Department of State, Washington, D.C. March-April 1947 -- Moscow Council of Foreign Ministers and Secretary of State Marshall's report -- Marshall warned about the slow recovery of Europe and Western differences with the USSR March 4, 1947 -- Dunkirk Treaty -- First peacetime defense pact between Great Britain and France March 12, 1947 -- President Truman's speech -- Proposed military and economic aid to Greece and Turkey; approved by Congress on May 22 June 5, 1947 -- Secretary Marshall's address -- Proposed Marshall Plan; invitation to the European nations to submit plans for a European recovery effort March 17, 1948 -- Brussels Treaty -- Created Western European Union (Brussels Pact); members promised to come to each other's aid in case of attack June 11, 1948 -- Vandenberg Resolution -- Advised the President to seek U.S. and free world security through support of mutual defense arrangements that operated within the UN Charter but outside the UN Security Council June 24, 1948 -- May 11, 1949 -- Berlin blockade and airlift -- Soviet blockade of access to Berlin and subsequent US supply by air of the city July-September 1948 -- Washington Exploratory Talks -- Negotiations over the basic scope and structure of the North Atlantic Alliance April 4, 1949 -- North Atlantic Treaty -- Signed in Washington by the foreign ministers of 12 nations; created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for collective defense July 21, 1949 -- US Senate approval of the North Atlantic Treaty -- On being assured that the Treaty preserved Congressional prerogatives August 24, 1949 -- Entry into force of the North Atlantic Treaty -- Canada was the first to ratify (May 3) and Italy the last (August 24) September 17, 1949 -- First North Atlantic Council session -- Held in Washington and chaired by Secretary of State Acheson December 18, 1950 -- Conference of NATO Foreign Ministers, Brussels -- Approved plans for the defense of Western Europe, including US use of nuclear weapons if necessary to defend NATO nations December 19, 1950 -- General Eisenhower appointed Supreme NATO Commander -- Appointed by NATO foreign ministers with responsibility to create a force capable of repulsing an armed Soviet attack April 4, 1951 -- Senate approval of first US troops for NATO -- Approved deployment of 4 divisions of the US Army to Europe, but requested that the President consult with Congress before sending more troops February 18, 1952 -- Greek and Turkish membership -- Greece and Turkey acceded to the NATO treaty and became and 13th and 14th members May 27, 1952 -- Creation of European Defense Community -- Intended to unify Western European defense plans and bind West Germany to European defense; rejected by France in August 1954 July 1, 1952 -- US Senate ratification of NATO protocol -- Ratified NATO protocol with West Germany extending NATO guarantees May 5, 1955 -- West German membership -- Germany became the 15th NATO member May 14, 1955 -- Formation of the Warsaw Pact -- Soviet response to West German troops in NATO; signed by eight Eastern European nations March 10, 1966 -- French withdrawal from NATO -- President DeGaulle formally announced France's intention to withdraw from the NATO integrated military structure October 16, 1967 -- New NATO Headquarters -- Headquarters officially opened in Brussels December 13-14, 1967 -- Harmel Report and Flexible Response -- NATO adopted two-sided strategy of deterrence and d‚tente and the doctrine of flexible response, replacing massive retaliation May 30-31, 1972 -- NATO Agreement on CSCE and MBFR -- NATO agreed to start Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe; members also proposed talks on Mutual Balanced Force Reductions December 12, 1979 -- "Double Track" Decision on Theater Nuclear Forces -- NATO decided to deploy Pershing II missiles in Europe if the Soviets refused to negotiate withdrawal of SS-20 missiles in Eastern Europe May 30, 1982 -- Spanish membership -- Spain became the 16th NATO member December 8, 1987 -- Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty -- President Reagan and Soviet Leader Gorbachev signed the Washington INF Treaty eliminating intermediate-range missiles November 19, 1990 -- Conventional Armed Forces in Europe -- NATO and Warsaw Pact members signed the CFE treaty in Paris and published a Joint Declaration on non-aggression July 1, 1991 -- Dissolution of Warsaw Pact -- Members called for a "transition to all-European structures" June 4, 1992 -- Peacekeeping Role in Former Yugoslavia -- NATO announced readiness to support peace-keeping activities under authority of CSCE December 17, 1992 -- Peacekeeping Operations under UN Authority -- NATO stated readiness to back further action by the UN in former Yugoslavia January 10-11, 1994 -- Brussels Declaration -- NATO reaffirmed that the alliance was open to membership of other European states through the Partnership for Peace; NATO also endorsed concept of Combined Joint Task Forces December 16, 1995 -- Operation Joint Endeavor -- NATO launched the largest military operation to date in support of the Bosnia Peace Agreement May 27, 1997 -- Founding Act between NATO and Russian Federation signed -- Established framework for security partnership in the post-Communist world July 8, 1997 -- Madrid Summit -- NATO invited the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland to begin negotiations with a view to becoming NATO members March 12, 1999 -- Formal entry into Alliance of Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland -- Instruments of accession deposited at ceremony in Independence, Missouri (end text)