NATO’s creation in 1949 provided a unique framework for Western military cooperation in an era of Soviet expansion, and subsequently throughout the Cold War and into a new century. Representatives of 12 countries - the United States, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the United Kingdom -- signed the document at a meeting in Washington, D.C. Here, Robert Schuman, Minister of Foreign Affairs, signs the North Atlantic Treaty for France on April 4, 1949. NATO’s creation in 1949 provided a unique framework for Western military cooperation in an era of Soviet expansion, and subsequently throughout the Cold War and into a new century. Representatives of 12 countries - the United States, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the United Kingdom -- signed the document at a meeting in Washington, D.C. Here, Robert Schuman, Minister of Foreign Affairs, signs the North Atlantic Treaty for France on April 4, 1949. SHARE: Download: Full Size (2.25 MB) Tags: Photo Essays Credit: VIRIN: 773583-Y-PXY08-690.jpg Photo Gallery