The creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was one of the most important accomplishments of American diplomacy in countering the Soviet threat during the early days of the Cold War. Why and how such a reversal of a 150-year nonalignment policy by the United States was brought about, and how the goals of the treaty became a reality, are questions addressed here by a leading scholar of NATO. The importance of restoring Europe to strength and stability in the post-World War II years was as obvious to America as to its allies, but the means of achieving that goal were far from clear. The problem for European statesmen was how to secure much- needed American economic and military aid without sacrificing political independence. For American policymakers, in contrast, a degree of American control was seen as an essential quid pro quo. As Mr. Kaplan shows, the lengthy negotiations of 1947 and 1948 were chiefly concerned with reconciling these opposing views. For the Truman administration, the difficulties of achieving a treaty acceptable to the allies were matched by those of winning its acceptance by Congress and the public. Many Americans saw such an "entangling alliance" as a threat not only to American security but to the viability of the United Nations. Mr. Kaplan demonstrates the tortuous course of the debate on the treaty and the pivotal role of the communist invasion of South Korea in its ultimate approval. This authoritative study offers a timely reevaluation of the origins of an alliance that continues to play a critical role in the balance of power and in the prospects for world peace.

Ambassador Burns and General Jones are the authors of the Atlantic Council's new report on "Restoring the Power and Purpose of the NATO alliance." Last week marked the 100th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Somme in World War I, 141 days of carnage that killed or wounded over one million soldiers. This is a powerful reminder of a time fading from memory, yet not all that distant, that Europe was a war-torn continent. It's also a reminder of how fortunate we are that the United States and our allies changed that tragic arc of history at a crucial inflection point. We forged the rules-based international order out of the ashes of World War II. We are committed, ourselves, to human rights, democracy, rule of law, open markets, and peaceful settlements of disputes, and we built a NATO alliance to protect, defend, and advance a Europe whole, free, and at peace. Again we stand at a critical inflection point as the shadow of war is returned to Europe. The Atlantic Council report warns, "The peace, security, and democratic stability of Europe can no longer be taken for granted." Today, the NATO alliance faces the greatest threat to peace and security in Europe since the end of the Cold War. Indeed, the challenges to our alliance are great: radical Islamic terrorism radiating instability across the Middle East, the worst refugee crisis since World War II, a weakened European Union, and perhaps most significant of all, a revanchist and unrepentant Russia willing to use military force to achieve political objectives.

Why NATO Endures examines military alliances and their role in international relations, developing two themes. The first is that the Atlantic Alliance, also known as NATO, has become something very different from virtually all pre-1939 alliances and many contemporary alliances. The members of early alliances frequently feared their allies as much if not more than their enemies, viewing them as temporary accomplices and future rivals. In contrast, NATO members were almost all democracies that encouraged each other to grow stronger. The book's second theme is that NATO, as an alliance of democracies, has developed hidden strengths that have allowed it to endure for roughly 60 years, unlike most other alliances, which often broke apart within a few years. Democracies can and do disagree with one another, but they do not fear each other. They also need the approval of other democracies as they conduct their foreign policies. These traits constitute built-in, self-healing tendencies, which is why NATO endures.