The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was founded after WW II with the aim of strengthening the capacity of a war-devastated Europe to defend member states against a Soviet Union which was rapidly consolidating itself under Communism and increasing its military power. On the back of the experience gained after world war I, being aware of what went on during that period, European and North American countries formed a common basis of interaction in response to the Soviet threat. As we know, after the collapse of the Soviet regime in the early Nineties, NATO's primary objective was accomplished without having recourse to any military operation. .
Since then, the meaning of "security" has broadened. In fact, over the course of time, the development of the concept of security in the global scenario has been influenced by the changing environment. As globalization takes shape, concerns come not only from potential military attacks, but from a wide range of threats, especially terrorist organizations. .
Today, with no easily defined enemy, NATO has to reinterpret its general aim of safeguarding the freedom of its members by promoting stability in the Euro-Atlantic area and beyond. This is done through pillars such as collective defense, crisis management and cooperative security. That is why the Alliance is currently going through a substantial transformation of its structure.
Besides this, it's important to underline that all NATO countries have liberal economies and share the same democratic values. A state with a liberal economy produces and exports products to the international market, thereby increasing worldwide wealth. War interrupts trade and causes inflation. Thus, all NATO members are inclined to avoid war and to promote peace with states with which they trade goods and services. In terms of security operations, the increasing complexity of the joint and combined military activities has brought about a change in the Armed Forces organization of each member State.
