Explaining NATO enlargement

Book abstract:

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War it might have been expected that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) would decline in importance. Instead, its mission and capabilities have grown and its enlargement is likely to have a number of far-reaching consequences. These issues are examined in this book which consists of a series of chapters written by a range of foreign policy experts.

Specifically, the book addresses issues such as the possibility of enlargement undermining Russia's relationship with the West, the reasons and consequences for NATO's enlargement into the East as well as examining possible future candidate countries for membership. The book consists of five parts. An introduction is followed by a section on the Bosnian War and NATO enlargement. Part three examines the issues surrounding NATO' s unique organisational structure from the perspectives of institutions and choice while part four examines how domestic politics and national interests influenced the decision to expand NATO that was reached in the US. The final part offers a final conclusion and explanation of NATO enlargement, applying international theory in its assessment of the benefits of enlargement.

Robert Rauchhaus is a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of California who will be working for an international consulting firm that specialises in business strategy on completion of his degree.