NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a military alliance established (1949) by Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United States. Countries that later joined were Greece and Turkey (1952), West Germany (1955; now Germany), and Spain (1982). NATO wanted to protect member nations from attack. The threat of Soviet Union during the Cold War was a real concern and fear. The ending of the Cold War, NATO members agreed to the use of its forces as peacekeepers in countries outside the alliance. NATO's headquarter is in Brussels, Belgium, and is headed by NATO's secretary general. The Military Committee, located in Washington, D.C., includes representatives of all members. East European nations wanted NATO memership because they feared Russian. European and Asian nations were offered limited partnerships that do not require NATO members to defend them from attack.