Introduction The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed in 1949 to deter the communist threat during the Cold War era. Until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, NATO’s primary goal was to contain the threat that was thought to originate from behind the eastern borders. NATO’s primary function was collective defense, as envisaged by Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. However, the alliance was militarily dominated by the United States. From its very beginning, NATO was not simply about defending the Allies against the Soviet threat but the alliance also became the institutionalization of the relationship between North America and Western Europe. In the words of NATO’s first Secretary General, Lord Ismay, the role of NATO during the Cold War was “to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down” (Wheatcroft, Geoffrey. June 15, 2011. The New York Times). During the Cold War years, NATO played a decisive and unrivalled role in Western Europe’s security architecture. The collapse of Communism and the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the period from 1989 to 1991 called into question NATO’s future role and even its continued existence.

After the end of World War II, all involved countries, with no exception of being victorious or defeated, have started seeking of the prevention of a new disaster by reconstructing and maintaining the security and peace primarily in Europe. All huge and disastrous events (such as World Wars) which affected whole world were originated from the uncomfortable conditions and conflicts in the continent. Thus the main task was to settle a mechanism that would eliminate any emerging threat against the continental security and maintain the order and peace. For this purpose, in 1949 West European countries established the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in order to protect the member countries