Oct 04, · NATO is the most formidable military alliance in the world, capable of deploying and sustaining forces anywhere around the globe—an unprecedented degree of power projection. However, analyzing the contemporary geopolitical situation in the eastern Mediterranean shows that NATO is only one of the key players. Russia has strategically acquired the lion’s share of 1 day ago · Argument essay thesis Oct 01, · NATO is responding to new challenges posed by climate change 01 Apr. The Allies are individually responsible for adapting to climate change but the Alliance must also act collectively. It is urgent that NATO comprehensively recognises changes in environmental conditions, responds to climate change and adapts its capabilities
History of NATO - Wikipedia
Constantinos Saragkas and Georgios Manassis NATO is the most formidable military alliance in the world, nato essay, capable of deploying and sustaining forces anywhere around the globe—an unprecedented degree of power projection.
However, analyzing the contemporary geopolitical situation in the nato essay Mediterranean shows that NATO is only one of the key players. Confronting the challenges facing NATO in the Mediterranean region first requires an understanding of the reasons the alliance finds itself in this situation. Exploring those reasons will help identify potential solutions and improve prospects nato essay the alliance.
Verba volant, scripta manentthe ancient Romans believed—spoken words fly away, nato essay, written words nato essay. The North Atlantic Alliance was founded in the aftermath of the Second World War, nato essay. Its purpose was to secure peace in Europe, to promote cooperation among its members and to guard their freedom—all of this in the context of countering the threat posed at the time by the Soviet Union.
NATO fulfilled this mission untilwhen the Soviet Union collapsed, followed by the socialist republics in Eastern Europe. NATO includes two members, Great Britain and France, with nato essay of history as preeminent sea powers and one member, the Nato essay States, nato essay came into its own as a sea power during World War II. These remain today the dominant sea powers in the alliance. Through superiority at sea, NATO thwarted any efforts of land-based powers like the Soviet Union to become sea powers capable of challenging the alliance in the maritime domain.
George Liska, in his book Quest for Equilibrium: America and the Balance of Power on Land and Seaputs forth a view of the United States during the Cold War as an insular, sea-based power searching for the means to balance the rise of the land-based Soviet Union. Turkey and Greece joined the alliance in under the same protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty.
The fact that currently there are reasonable concerns about stability in the region is also clear proof that it warrants sustained attention from the alliance. The Ottoman Empire, the predecessor state of modern Turkey, was at the height of its power inwhen defeat in the Battle of Vienna changed the tide and it began its long decline. By the late eighteenth century, European powers had begun to contend with the Eastern Question—the issue of how that decline would affect the rest of Europe.
The failure of this project said as much about the complexity of the Eastern Question as anything else. Karl Vasilyevich, Count Nesselrode, the Russian foreign minister, nato essay, described this complexity in We are witnessing the same approach from Moscow today. This contrasts with NATO, which focuses on tactics rather than setting and following a stable strategy.
Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. Russia under Vladimir Putin has also showed itself to be a strategic opportunist. An opportunist needs two nato essay things: the existence of the opportunity itself and the space to take it. NATO has offered this space by its absence at the strategic level.
Russia saw the gap and, by deploying effective tools short of firepowerrushed to fill it. Russia has also consolidated its presence in the vital areas of Syria and Libya. Crete has been considered a strategic island since the Middle Ages. Venetians and Ottomans paid particular attention to it, with both ruling it for periods of time.
The Germans wanted to prevent the British from using it as a launching pad for air raids against North Africa and the Ploesti oil fields in Romania. Nato essay after World War II, the Naval Support Activity Souda Bay NSA Souda Bay base was founded—around the time that Greece joined NATO. NSA Souda Bay contributed significantly to George F. It is worth mentioning that Greek governments since have committed to keeping the base in Crete.
Even the socialists under Andreas Papandreou in the s, despite their anti-NATO rhetoric, renewed the agreement with the United States. Nato essay tensions between Greece and Turkey, the generally Western orientation of the Kemalist state ensured a sometimes minimal, nato essay, but important, nato essay, level of communication between the two NATO allies.
Shortly after the coup attempt, in an unprecedented move, Turkey cut off power to Incirlik Air Base, and two years later sought to arrest several US military personnel who, the Turkish government contended, have ties to a US-based Turkish religious figure and opponent of Erdogan. In lateTurkey even threatened to close the base. In response to these events, together with increasing anti-American rhetoric, the United States explored moving military assets from Incirlik to NSA Souda Bay.
The most public sign of a growing schism, however, came when Turkey struck a deal with Russia to purchase the S air-defense nato essayan unprecedented anti-alliance move. Athens never purchased it, but rather volunteered to host Ss purchased by Cyprus, which Turkey threatened to strike if deployed on the island in NSA Souda Bay can be utilized as the main base for US naval forces in the region, already providing a great variety of facilities to NATO ships.
The base is capable of providing logistical support and can serve the needs of an aircraft carrier, and is home to the NATO Fleet Operational Readiness Accuracy Check Site to check weapons and sensors and the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Nato essay. The NATO Missile Firing Installation sits just north of Souda Bay. As a result, nato essay, NATO ships can meet high standards of logistics and operational training support, while remaining in a safe berthing place, nato essay, close enough to the vital eastern Mediterranean to guarantee influence in the area—and counter Russian influence, nato essay.
ΝΑΤΟ is the most powerful military alliance globally, but its brand has suffered, in a sense, across the broader region of the Middle East and North Africa after twenty years of dynamic intervention and military presence.
Political legitimacy is a must for any intervention and the EU, by contrast, as a worldwide soft power brand, could bring the sense of legitimacy required in the areas where NATO might act and where both organizations have shared interests.
The two were combined during peacekeeping efforts in the Balkans, which is and should be regarded as a success, despite its shortcomings, nato essay. Such increased cooperation could become a nato essay proof of concept to help improve the relationship between the two organizations and the effectiveness of a common effort at both the strategic and operational levels to serve the shared interests of both.
Toward a New Security Architecture in the Nato essay Mediterranean. In that respect, NATO and the EU have common goals and should pursue enhanced integration in service of these goals. Constantinos I. Saragkas is a lieutenant in nato essay Hellenic Army Reserve, 88th Military Command, nato essay, bids manager at Input Output Globaland a RIEAS research associate.
He holds an MSc from the London School of Economics and an MBA, nato essay. Georgios I. Manassis is a lieutenant commander in the Hellenic Navy. He holds an MA in southeast Europe studies. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect the official position of the United States Military Academy, Department of the Army, or Department of Defense, or those of any organization the authors are affiliated with, nato essay, including the Hellenic government.
It is a given that if NATO wants to be taken seriously it has to defend the Nato essay in its entirety which includes Cyprus. Threats to NATO bases in the Mediterranean includes entities other than Russia or Turkey. Factions along the North Nato essay are ratcheting up tensions which could impact shipping nato essay the Mediterranean as well as the Suez Canal and Iran is now making forays into "The Med" in support of NGO's in Lebanon and Syria, nato essay.
If NATO fails to defend the Mediterranean it will open up the potential of adversaries using "The Med" to outflank NATO in Europe. Italy has a robust naval capability and Spain nato essay strong naval assets but they still need Nato essay larger naval powers the US, Great Britain and France if there's to be nato essay strong deterrent in "The Med". Brian, nato essay, very valuable point.
The key word in your comment is "defence". The prerequisite to achieve effective defence, is the establishment of sufficient presence. Thank you for your comprehensive comment Bryan. Very nato essay points about Cyprus and Iran. Securing "The Med" in partnership with nato essay EU would allow the US to focus on the Pacific, nato essay.
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Navigating a Sea of Challenges: A New Approach for NATO in the Eastern Mediterranean Constantinos Saragkas and Georgios Manassis Share on Facebook Share. Share on Twitter Tweet. Share on LinkedIn Share. Send email Mail. Print Print. Previous The Man in The Tank Wins: IDF Armor, Part 1, nato essay. Next How Not to Build a State. Brian Foley on George Manassis on Constantinos saragkas on Leave a reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Search Search for:.
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Jun 14, · Even before today’s NATO summit, President Biden settled the most important question: He affirmed America’s commitment to defend the alliance’s 30 members by force. And despite divisions on Oct 04, · NATO is the most formidable military alliance in the world, capable of deploying and sustaining forces anywhere around the globe—an unprecedented degree of power projection. However, analyzing the contemporary geopolitical situation in the eastern Mediterranean shows that NATO is only one of the key players. Russia has strategically acquired the lion’s share of Sep 15, · The appearance of two state-sponsored memorials to Alexander Nevsky in two weeks is more than a little coincidental. The Russian state is sending a message. The monument at Lake Chudskoe is particularly notable, standing on Russia's border with NATO and pointing westwards. For Nevsky, the real danger came from the West, not from the East
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