北约的内向型和外向型发展贯穿于其历史进程的始终,北约军事-政治机制的不断发展与完善,构成了北约内向型发展的主要内容;北约组织规模的扩大及其在冷战格局中的国际干预行为,则成为北约外向型发展的重要内容。冷战时期,冷战化的意识形态是促成北约对内不断深化其组织机构、对外逐次扩张的重要因素。冷战结束后,霸权主义、单边主义以及冷战思维,则成为新历史条件下,支撑北约对外战略、联盟体制改革以及不断东扩的重要思想基础和现实指导。

The intrinsic and extrinsic development of NATO permeated its history.The former is the development of the political-military structure of NATO;the latter is its enlargement and special behaviors in the international affairs.In the Cold War Era,the ideology played the most important role in the establishment of NATO's system and the enlargement of NATO.In the Post-Cold War period,hegemonism,unilateralism and ideology of the Cold War are contributing a lot to the strategy,transformation and enlargement of NATO.