Videos that made history
We are fortunate that much of NATO’s early history was caught on film. Indeed, NATO has occasionally produced documentaries about transatlantic events and issues, and about itself. The Internet now allows us to share these videos widely.
The first video, placed immediately below, shows clips from the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949.
We also present three additional videos that are representative of films that NATO has produced over the years. The full range of these documentaries are arranged below by decade. Clicking on a decade opens a separate window that takes the viewer to the NATO TV Channel on the Internet, where the films can be viewed and downloaded.
A third group of films, entitled “The Atlantic Community,” contains national documentaries of NATO’s early members.
Over time, we hope to make more video footage available, both on this site and through our developing NATO TV channel on the Internet.
We hope that you enjoy this digital exploration of NATO’s past.
Signing of the North Atlantic Treaty
On 4 April 1949, The North Atlantic Treaty was signed in Washington, DC by ministers from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The video to the left includes a speech by US President Harry Truman and moments from the signing ceremony.