Nuclear & conventional forces and burden-sharing

early 1990s

peace dividend; major conventional reductions and decline in national defense budgets across most of NATO’s member states. drastic reduction in the number of US forces in Europe. 1991: first strategic concept on cooperative security. end of Cold War; period of celebration

late 1990s

ongoing decline in national defense budgets. end of mandatory conscription across most of NATO’s European members. focus on crisis management rather than deterrence & defense. no deployment of NATO forces on the territory of new members in the late 1990s and early 2000s. NATO enlarges; peaceful setting with the exception of Bosnia; relations with Russia are cooperative

post 9/11

further shift to crisis management & cooperative security attacks after 9/11. US withdrawal from ABM (ballistic & missile) treaty & plans for missile defense against threat posed by ‘rogue’ states caused friction with Russia. violations of INF treaty by Russia & signing of adapted version of CFE treaty. after 9/11 deterrence & defense take a backseat. late 90s relations w/Russia is cooperative. CFE treaty: admit new countries from Eastern Europe 

post-2008 economic crisis

after additional decline in defense spending caused by 2008 crisis, NATO members began to increase their defense spending after the 2011 bombing of Libya & Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea (Obama said the US should take control). NATO’s 2014 Wales Summit formalized the 2% pledge in defense spending. the Warsaw Summit of NATO in 2016 began the change in NATO’s force posture in Eastern Europe (Romania), leading to tripwire deployments in the countries threatened by Russia’s policy through the ERI