Doctrine

Abstract Why does NATO doctrine appear as a lagging indicator of the changing character of conflict? During the Cold War, the post-Cold War period, and the period after Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine, the Alliance has routinely promulgated doctrine well after it has begun conducting operations that would have fallen under the retrospective doctrine’s guidance. For instance, allied doctrine on peace support operations was first released in 2001, several years after NATO had begun its peace support and stabilization mission in Bosnia. This chapter unpacks the reasons why allied doctrine seems so often behind the curve. In doing so, it examines the evolution of NATO doctrine over the last several decades, from the early Cold War years through to the present day. It first identifies how NATO defines doctrine, who develops it, and how that doctrine is developed. A brief concluding section looks at the challenges of building a collective military doctrine in an alliance of equally sovereign members (something which has only become more difficult as NATO membership has expanded).