NATO Expansion: Who's Next

摘要

NATO was originally established in 1949 with 12 members. It later added Greece and Turkey in 1951 and then Germany and Spain to bring the total number of members to 16. These 16 members remained the basis of NATO until the end of the Cold War. With the fall of the Soviet Empire, expansion in NATO was essential to its continued relevance, and the first new members were admitted in 1999, Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic. With the continual change in Europe and throughout the world, regional security and perhaps even global security are dependent in many ways on the success of NATO. To ensure success and increased influence, NATO will continue to expand to include more of the former Eastern Block countries. This paper will look at six countries that are eligible for admission into NATO and determine which are best suited based on geopolitical issues, democratic reforms, economic capabilities as it relates to percent of GDP for military spending, overall military capabilities and what they can bring to the table, and finally the location of the country and how it can assist in the land, sea, or air lines of communications.