The history of the NATO emblem
Fri, 27.02.2009
Photo: Nato
NATO's emblem
On 3 and 4 April NATO will be
celebrating its 60th anniversary. A lot has happened during these
six decades. From now on we will be posting interesting articles
about this period. In this first article we will look at the
background to NATO's emblem.
The search for a
suitable emblem began three years before NATO was founded. A great
many different proposals were made, before the current emblem was
finally adopted. From the outset it was felt important to find an
emblem that reflected the principles of the transatlantic
community. This meant that all member states had to accept the new
emblem.
One of the proposals was a silver shield that would bear 14 stars and two blue stripes. The shield was intended to symbolise protection and defence. The stars represented the fourteen member states and the two blue stripes the Atlantic Ocean. This proposal was finally rejected because the emblem would have had to be changed every time NATO admitted a new member state.
Given that the emblem was to be used as part of the NATO flag, it was to be simple but easily remembered. It was also to symbolically incorporate the traditions and ideas of NATO.
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