Over the past 60 years NATO has emerged as the most enduring military alliance in the history of the world. The success and strength of NATO today can be attributed to General Eisenhower’s original vision and determined leadership in the early, perilous days of the Cold War.

The Cold War was the great rivalry between the communist Soviet Union and its allies against the United States and its Western allies that began after World War II. The creation of NATO helped prevent the Cold War from becoming a hot war that would have led the world to nuclear armageddon. 

In 1949, ten European nations allied with the United States and Canada to form the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, for their mutual defense against Soviet aggression. The leaders of these nations chose General Dwight D. Eisenhower as the first Supreme Commander of NATO to lead them through this dangerous and volatile period.

To achieve victory on D-Day, Eisenhower had to unify a coalition of nearly two million soldiers, sailors, and airmen from a dozen nations.