America's New Allies: Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic in NATO

America's New Allies analyzes the strengths and liabilities of three formerSoviet 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 geopoliticalrealities in Eastern Europe and forces the U.S. military to confront theprospect of defending these former enemies against armed attack. The bookdiscusses military reform in the new member-states, the nature ofcivil-military relations, and foreign policy objectives of the three oncein NATO. NATO is the only time-tested, highly institutionalized alliancesystem in the world today. NATO has denationalized the armed forces of itsmember states and has provided a framework to extend the U.S. securityperimeter across the Atlantic, which has been a pillar of our superpowerstatus. The current enlargement is part of a larger restructuring ofNATO underway since the end of the Cold War, and represents a definingmoment for the emerging post-Cold War security architecture and, in turn,for the long-term relationship between the U.S. and Europe. The goal oftransforming NATO into a larger security community capable of projectingpower out of area has been severely tested in the former Yugoslavia. Theissues discussed in America's New Allies will be vigorously debated foryears to come