Which organization pledges collective defense where an attack on one is an attack on all?

Which organization pledges collective defense where an attack on one is an attack on all?

• A. European Union
• B. African Union
• C. Arab League
• D. North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Answer: (D)

A key idea here is collective defense—the idea that an attack on one member triggers a response from all. NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is built on this principle, most clearly seen in its Article 5 pledge. That article states that an armed attack against one or more members shall be considered an attack against them all, prompting a collective defense response. NATO formed after World War II to deter aggression and to provide security through this mutual commitment, and it has operated as the clearest example of a treaty-based automatic defense arrangement (notably invoked after the 9/11 attacks). Other regional groups like the European Union, African Union, and Arab League focus on political and economic cooperation and crisis management but do not provide a formal, universal automatic defense obligation among all members. Therefore, NATO is the organization that embodies this pledge.

A key idea here is collective defense—the idea that an attack on one member triggers a response from all. NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is built on this principle, most clearly seen in its Article 5 pledge. That article states that an armed attack against one or more members shall be considered an attack against them all, prompting a collective defense response. NATO formed after World War II to deter aggression and to provide security through this mutual commitment, and it has operated as the clearest example of a treaty-based automatic defense arrangement (notably invoked after the 9/11 attacks). Other regional groups like the European Union, African Union, and Arab League focus on political and economic cooperation and crisis management but do not provide a formal, universal automatic defense obligation among all members. Therefore, NATO is the organization that embodies this pledge.