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America's New Allies analyzes the strengths and liabilities of three former Soviet satellite nations -- Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic -- that joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in March 1999. This controversial enlargement of NATO formalizes the new geopolitical realities in Eastern Europe and forces the U.S. military to confront the prospect of defending these former enemies against armed attack. The book discusses military reform in the new member-states, the nature of civil-military relations, and foreign policy objectives of the three once in NATO.NATO is the only time-tested, highly institutionalized alliance system in the world today. NATO has denationalized the armed forces of its member states and has provided a framework to extend the U.S. security perimeter across the Atlantic, which has been a pillar of our superpower status.The current enlargement is part of a larger restructuring of NATO underway since the end of the Cold War, and represents a defining moment for the emerging post-Cold War security architecture and, in turn, for the long-term relationship between the U.S. and Europe. The goal of transforming NATO into a larger security community capable of projecting power out of area has been severely tested in the former Yugoslavia. The issues discussed in America's New Allies will be vigorously debated for years to come.
List of contents
Acknowlegments
Introduction
1) From the NVA to the Bunderswehr, Bringing the E. Germans into NATO
2) Poland, A Linchpin of Regional Security
3) Hungary, An Outpost on the Troubled Periphery
4) The Czech Republic, A Small Contributor or a `Free Rider¿?
5) NATO Enlargement, Policy, Process, and Implications
Conclusion
Contributors
Index
Summary
Analyzes the strengths and liabilities that accompany the 1999 addition of three former Soviet satellite nations - Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic - to the ranks of the 16-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
