Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Graduate Program in International Studies Dissertations Spring 2006 The Reinvention of NATO Robert M. Antis Old Dominion University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/gpis_etds Part of the European History Commons, International Law Commons, and the International Relations Commons Recommended Citation Antis, Robert M.. "The Reinvention of NATO" (2006). Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), dissertation, International Studies, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/x1g8-e418 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/gpis_etds/32 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Program in International Studies at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE REINVENTION OF NATO by Robert M. Antis B.A. June 1975, Michigan State University M.A. May 1980, Indiana University A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY INTERNATIONAL STUDIES OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY May 2006 Approved by: Regina Karp (Dir ) Steve Yetiv (Member) Willard C. Frank, Jr. (Member) ©2006 Robert M. Antis. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT THE REINVENTION OF NATO Robert M. Antis Old Dominion University, 2006 Director: Dr. Regina Karp In 2006, NATO is operating well out of area and conducting missions beyond the collective defense limits of its founding Treaty. NATO increasingly supports humanitarian relief operations, while also engaged in Afghanistan, the Mediterranean, and African crisis spots. These changes provide the reason to examine the thesis: only if NATO is able to effectively transform will it be able to continue in its role as the primary European security institution. This transformation of the Alliance is a process, and one that could yet come to an untimely conclusion following any crisis. How NATO has adapted so far, and the potential for further successful adaptation are important European and Transatlantic issues. The reinvention of a treaty-based collective defense Alliance signed in 1949 to an institution projecting power and stability well beyond its own region resulted from slow and methodical consensus building since the end of the Cold War. Rather than disappearing, NATO enlarged and changed. Alliance members continued to see value in the institution that provided security for decades. Meanwhile, emerging dangers reinvigorated the collective defense nature of the Alliance. As an intergovernmental organization, NATO is not quickly changed. Nevertheless, since 1989 the Alliance has transformed remarkably. Changes in NATO policies, structure, and capabilities have resulted in a significantly different institution. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Externally, NATO has provided a sense of stability and security as it enlarged and engaged the newly democratic nations of Europe. Through partnership activities, NATO provides regional transparency, resulting in the continuation of stability that began at the end of World War Two. Internally, NATO continues developing a European identity in order to provide a more balanced relationship within the Alliance. It has established the CJTF as a means of supporting the EU in selected contingencies when the Alliance as a whole does not wish to be involved. NATO has shown great flexibility and adaptability since the end of the Cold War. It is imperative that Alliance members begin to share a common vision and an understanding of their differences. It is also critical that changes within the EU and a future constitution not limit Alliance flexibility. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks to my committee members, Dr. Steve Yetiv and Dr. Willard Frank for their advice and guidance in the research and writing of this dissertation. A special thanks to my committee chair, Dr. Regina Karp for her advice and counsel since I first entered the Graduate Program in International Studies, and especially for her help and support at every step in completing this project. I owe a special thanks to my friend and colleague, Dr. Claudia Clark. Her advice and help throughout the process was invaluable. Her time and effort in reviewing this work at every step along the way went well above and beyond the call of friendship. I am grateful for the encouragement and support shown by my children, Barbara and Robert, throughout this project. Most important of all, I appreciate and treasure the support shown by my wife Sue, who always supported me and kept me going, while quietly tolerating the long hours necessary to complete this project. I could not have done it without you. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................1 The Question .........................................................................................1 Reinvention Begins ..............................................................................3 Purpose Of Inquiry ...............................................................................7 Argument..............................................................................................7 Methodology...................................................................................... 12 Importance..........................................................................................17 Critical Thresholds Of Transformation .............................................19 NATO’s Transformation In The Literature ......................................26 The Theoretical Approach .................................................................27 Practical Implicatons OfNATO Existence ...................................... 30 Chapter Summaries ............................................................................39 II. THE ROAD TO NATO’S REINVENTION...............................................42 1989- 1991: The End Of An Era ....................................................46 1992 - 1996: Regional Turmoil And Change................................. 78 1997 - 1998: Taking On New Members ..........................................94 1999 - 2001: Taking The Alliance To War...................................101 2002 - 2004: From Prague To Istanbul ..........................................109 Summary.......................................................................................... 120 III. THE EUROPEAN SECURITY AND DEFENSE IDENTITY: A VOICE FOR EUROPE................................................................122 Responding To A Changing World (1989 -1994).........................128 Building A Security Framework (1994 - 1996).............................141 Negotiating The Shape Of ESDI (1997 - 1999) ............................ 148 Establishing New Relationships (1999 - 2004) ............................. 154 Summary.......................................................................................... 180 IV. COMBINED JOINT TASK FORCE (CJTF): THE BRIDGE BETWEEN MILITARY CAPABILITY AND POLITICAL WILL.................183 CJTF: What It Is And Is Not ...........................................................186 CJTF: From Concept To Substance ............................................... 189 The Concept Waits For Acceptance ............................................... 199 The Concept Comes To Life .......................................................... 203 The Implementation Of CJTF ........................................................ 205 Summary..........................................................................................208 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. vi Chapter Page V. ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION............................................................210 Introduction......................................................................................210 Critical Thresholds .......................................................................... 212 NATO Adaptation: Where Has Transformation Been Focused?..............................................................................218 Challenges Remaining From NATO Enlargement ...................... 245 The Future Of NATO Transformation ............................................251 NATO: A Future Vision .................................................................. 258 Contribution To Scholarship ...........................................................267 The Extent Of NATO Transformation ...........................................268 Future Proposals For NATO Transformation ...............................277 BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................................. 280 VITA...................................................................................................................................... 298 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. 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