Text File

NATO handbook17 uploaded March 25, 1993

APPENDIX X

106. CHRONOLOGY

1945

26 June

The United Nations Charter is signed at San Fran- cisco.

6 August

Explosion of Hiroshima atom bomb.

1946

16 March

Winston Churchill's ``Iron Curtain'' speech at Fulton, Missouri.

1947

19 January

The Soviet-sponsored Communist ``Lublin-Com- mittee'' monopolises power in Poland.

12 March

President Truman urges the United States ``to sup- port free peoples who are resisting attempted subju- gation by armed minorities or by outside pressure'' (Truman Doctrine).

5 June

United States Secretary of State, George C. Mar- shall, announces plans for the economic rehabilita- tion of Europe (Marshall Plan).

5 October

Establishment of Cominform, the organisation for the ideological unity of the Soviet bloc, following rejection of Marshall Aid by the Soviet Union and its allies.

1948

22 February

The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia gains control of the government in Prague through a coup d'Etat.

17 March

Signature of the Brussels Treaty of Economic, Social and Cultural Collaboration and Collective Self-Defence by the Foreign Ministers of Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

11 June

The United States Senate adopts the ``Vandenberg Resolution''.

24 June

Beginning of the Berlin blockade by the Soviet Union.

28 June

Formal expulsion of Yugoslavia from Cominform.

6 July

Talks on North Atlantic defence begin in Washing- ton between the United States, Canada and the Brussels Treaty Powers.

27-28 September

The Defence Ministers of the Brussels Treaty Powers decide to create a Western Union Defence Organisation.

25-26 October

The Consultative Council of the Brussels Treaty Powers announces ``complete agreement on the principle of a defensive pact for the North Atlan- tic''.

10 December

Negotiations on the North Atlantic Treaty open in Washington between the representatives of the Brussels Treaty Powers, Canada and the United States.

1949

15 March

The negotiating powers invite Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Norway and Portugal to adhere to the North Atlantic Treaty.

2 April

The governments concerned repudiate Soviet asser- tions that the North Atlantic Treaty is contrary to the United Nations Charter.

4 April

The North Atlantic Treaty is signed in Washington by Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kindgom and the United States.

8 April

The Brussels Treaty Powers, Denmark, Italy and Norway, request United States military and finan- cial assistance.

9 May

The Berlin blockade is lifted.

24 August

The North Atlantic Treaty enters into force.

17 September

First session of the North Atlantic Council in Washington.

6 October

Mutual Defence Assistance Act of 1949 is signed by President Truman.

1950

9 May

The French Government proposes the creation of a single authority to control the production of steel and coal in France and Germany, open for member- ship to other countries (Schuman Plan).

25 June

North Korean Forces attack the Republic of South Korea.

24 October

French Prime Minister, Rene Pleven, outlines his plan for a European unified army, including German contingents, within the framework of NATO.

19 December

The North Atlantic Council appoints General Dwight D. Eisenhower to be the first Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR).

20 December

The Brussels Treaty Powers decide to merge the military organisation of the Western Union into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

1951

2 April

Allied Command Europe becomes operational with Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) located at Roquencourt, near Paris.

18 April

Setting up of the European Coal and Steel Commu- nity by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the Federal Republic of Ger- many.

17-22 October

Signature in London of the protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the accession of Greece and Turkey.

1952

30 January

Appointment of Vice-Admiral Lynde D. McCor- mick (United States) to be the first Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT).

18 February

Greece and Turkey accede to the North Atlantic Treaty.

21 February

The Council establishes a Channel Command, and appoints Admiral Sir Arthur John Power as the first Commander-in-Chief Channel (CINCHAN).

12 March

Lord Ismay (United Kingdom) is appointed Vice- Chairman of the North Atlantic Council and Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

10 April

Supreme Allied Command Atlantic (SACLANT) be- comes operational, with headquarters at Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

16 April

NATO opens its provisional headquarters at the Palais de Chaillot, Paris.

28 April

First meeting of the North Atlantic Council in permanent session in Paris.

1953

5 March

The death of Stalin.

23 July

Korean Armistice signed at Panmunjon.

8 August

USSR announces its possession of the hydrogen bomb.

1954

7 May

The United Kingdom and the United States reject the USSR's bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

29 August

The French National Assembly decides against ratification of the Treaty setting up the European Defence Community (EDC).

23 October

Signature of the Paris Agreements. The Federal Republic of Germany is invited to join NATO, and Italy and the Federal Republic of Germany accede to the Western European Union (WEU).

1955

5 May

The Federal Republic of Germany becomes a member of NATO.

14 May

The USSR concludes the Warsaw Treaty with Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland and Romania.

18-23 July

First Conference of NATO Parliamentarians (since November 1966, the North Atlantic Assembly) in Paris.

1956

14 February

Khrushchev denounces Stalin in ``secret'' speech.

18 April

Dissolution of Cominform.

28 June

Anti-regime riots erupt at Poznan in Poland.

26 July

Egypt nationalises the Suez Canal.

4 November

Soviet suppression of Hungarian people's rebel- lion.

13 December

The North Atlantic Council approves the recom- mendations contained in the Report of the Commit- tee of Three on non-military cooperation in NATO.

1957

25 March

Signature of the Rome Treaties setting up Euratom and the European Economic Communities.

16 May

Paul-Henri Spaak (Belgium) succeeds Lord Ismay as Secretary General of NATO.

4 October

The first Soviet Sputnik is launched.

16-19 December

At a meeting of Heads of Government in Paris, Alliance leaders reaffirm the principles and pur- poses of the Atlantic Alliance.

1958

1 January

Entry into force of the Treaty of Rome setting up the European Economic Community.

15-17 April

Defence Ministers of the NATO countries meeting in Paris reaffirm the defensive character of the NATO strategy.

1959

1 January

Overthrow of the Batista regime in Cuba by Fidel Castro.

15-22 December

Inauguration of the new NATO Headquarters at the Porte Dauphine in Paris.

1960

1 May

American U2 aircraft is shot down over Soviet terri- tory.

23 September

Khrushchev attends the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York.

1961

12 April

Soviet Major Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man orbited in space.

21 April

Dirk U. Stikker (Netherlands) succeeds Paul-Henri Spaak as Secretary General of NATO.

13 August

Erection of the Berlin Wall.

1962

10 April

Macmillan and Kennedy appeal to Khrushchev for agreement on a test ban treaty.

4-6 May

Foreign Ministers and Defence Ministers of the North Atlantic Alliance review the circumstances in which the Alliance might be compelled to have recourse to nuclear weapons (Athens Guidelines).

22 October-

20 November

Partial blockade of Cuba by the US following revelation of Soviet construction of missile bases on the island; lifted following Soviet agreement to dismantle the bases.

18-20 December

President Kennedy and Prime Minister Macmillan confer at Nassau, Bahamas. They agree to contrib- ute part of their strategic nuclear forces to NATO.

1963

20 June

Agreement on a ``hot line'' between Washington and Moscow is signed in Geneva by the United States and the Soviet Union.

15-25 July

The United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union initial an agreement banning nuclear tests in the atmosphere, in outer space and under- water.

10 October

The Moscow Treaty on a partial nuclear test ban comes into force.

22 November

President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas.

1964

1 August

Manlio Brosio (Italy) succeeds Dirk Stikker as Secretary General of NATO.

15 October

Khrushchev is removed from office. He is replaced by Leonid Brezhnev as General Secretary of the CPSU and by Alexei Kosygin as Prime Minister.

16 October

China explodes its first atomic bomb.

1966

10 March

President de Gaulle announces France's intention of withdrawing from the integrated military struc- ture of the Alliance.

1967

31 March

Official opening ceremony of SHAPE at Casteau near Mons, Belgium.

6-7 April

First meeting of the Nuclear Planning Group in Washington.

21 April

Military regime takes over power in Greece.

14 June

The North Atlantic Council meeting in Luxem- bourg reviews the Middle East situation following the Six-Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbours.

16 October

Official opening of new NATO Headquarters in Brussels.

13-14 December

The North Atlantic Council approves the Harmel Report on the Future Tasks of the Alliance.

The Defence Planning Committee adopts NATO's new strategic concept of flexible response and approves the establishment of a Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT).

1968

20-21 August

Soviet, Polish, East German, Bulgarian and Hun- garian troops invade Czechoslovakia.

12 September

Albania renounces its membership of the Warsaw Treaty Organisation.

13-14 November

Formation of the Eurogroup.

1969

28 May

Establishment of the naval on-call force in the Mediterranean (NAVOCFORMED).

8-10 December

First meeting of the Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society (CCMS).

1970

5 March

Non-Proliferation Treaty on Nuclear Weapons comes into force.

20 March

First NATO communications satellite launched from Cape Kennedy.

16 April

Opening in Vienna of US-USSR negotiations on strategic arms limitations (SALT).

1971

2 February

Second NATO communications satellite launched from Cape Kennedy.

1 October

Joseph Luns (Netherlands) succeeds Manlio Brosio as Secretary General of NATO.

1972

26 May

Signature in Moscow of interim agreement on strategic arms limitations (SALT).

3 June

Quadripartite Agreement on Berlin signed by Foreign Ministers of France, United Kingdom, United States and the USSR.

21 November

Opening of SALT II in Geneva.

21 December

Signature in East Berlin of the ``Basic Treaty'' between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic.

1973

1 January

Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom join the European Economic Community (EEC).

11 May

Inauguration of Standing Naval Force Channel (STANAVFORCHAN).

3-7 July

Opening of Conference on Security and Cooper- ation in Europe (CSCE) in Helsinki.

6-24 October

Arab-Israeli Yom Kippur War.

30 October

Conference on Mutual and Balanced Force Reduc- tions (MBFR) opens in Vienna.

1974

25 April

Military coup d'Etat in Portugal.

26 June

NATO Heads of Government meeting in Brussels sign a Declaration on Atlantic Relations approved and published by the North Atlantic Council in Ottawa on 19 June.

23 July

Konstantinos Karamanlis becomes Prime Minister of Greece following the resignation of the military government.

14 August

Withdrawal of Greek forces from integrated mili- tary structure of NATO.

23-24 November

President Ford and General Secretary Brezhnev, meeting in Vladivostok, agree on steps towards limitation of US-USSR strategic nuclear arms.

1975

31 July-

1 August

Final phase of CSCE. The Heads of State and Government sign the Helsinki Final Act.

1976

2 February

Establishment of the Independent European Pro- gramme Group.

1977

10-11 May

North Atlantic Council meeting in London with participation of Heads of State and Government. Initiation of a long-term defence programme.

4 October

CSCE Follow-up Meeting in Belgrade (4 October 1977 - 9 March 1978).

12 October

Establishment of NPG High Level Group on theatre nuclear force modernisation.

1978

30-31 May

Meeting of the North Atlantic Council with

participation of Heads of State and Government in Washington.

31 October-

11 December

CSCE Experts' Meeting on the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes, Montreux

18 November

Third NATO communications satellite launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

5-6 December

Approval of Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS).

1979

18 June

SALT II agreement signed in Vienna by President Carter and General Secretary Brezhnev. (The agree- ment was not ratified by the United States).

4 November

Seizure of the United States Embassy in Tehran and 53 hostages by Islamic revolutionaries.

12 December

Special Meeting of Foreign and Defence Ministers in Brussels. ``Double-track'' decision on theatre nuclear force modernisation including the deploy- ment in Europe of US ground-launched Cruise and Pershing II systems and a parallel and comple- mentary arms control effort to obviate the need for such deployments.

27 December

Soviet Union invades Afghanistan.