Why Every NATO Member Joined (And Why Everyone Else Hasn't)

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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is the most powerful alliance in the world. Some of the reasons countries do or do not join are straightforward. But others are downright bizarre. This video explains them all, including how the pyramid schemes and the word "North" kept two countries out for years.

0:00 NATO: The World's Most Powerful Alliance
0:31 The Origins of NATO: "Keeping the Russians Out"
1:35 The Founding Members of NATO and Cold War Additions
4:02 Post-Cold War Expansion
6:44 The North Macedonia Naming Dispute
7:34 Geographic Restrictions
8:58 NATO Opponents
10:22 Neutral States
11:36 Microstates
11:59 Instability and Conflict

Images licensed under CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/):

From 7th Army Training Command:
https://flickr.com/photos/7armyjmtc/23929783333
https://flickr.com/photos/7armyjmtc/14256317005
https://flickr.com/photos/7armyjmtc/14118327839
https://flickr.com/photos/7armyjmtc/15462871137
https://flickr.com/photos/7armyjmtc/14220927746
https://flickr.com/photos/7armyjmtc/17271955156
https://flickr.com/photos/7armyjmtc/29547842207

From U.S. Secretary of Defense:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/secdef/48959007786/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/secdef/27078709523


Images licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/deed.en):

From Bundesarchiv:
https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?query=Bild+183-L05487
https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?query=Bild+183-27106-0001
https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?query=Bild+183-1987-0529-029
https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?query=B+145+Bild-F024624-0004
https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?query=B+145+Bild-P098967
https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?query=Bild+183-L15327
https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?query=Bild+183-2007-0403-501


Images licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/):

From Kremlin.ru:
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/67828
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/68460

Photo of Transnistrian parade courtesy of Government of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.