NATO in 1949 and the Warsaw Pact in 1955 tied countries to opposing sides and made Europe's division last.
NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was formed in 1949. Members included the USA, Canada and Western European states. Its key idea was collective defence: an attack on one member counts as an attack on all. Western Europe wanted the USA to stay committed. The USSR saw NATO as a hostile group near its borders.
West Germany joined NATO in 1955. The USSR and its allies then formed the Warsaw Pact. The division already existed. The alliances made it harder to undo.
Deterrence means stopping an attack by making it too costly. An alliance can deter an enemy. But it can also make that enemy feel surrounded and build up its own forces. So defensive aims did not always lower tension.
- NATO, 1949
- Western alliance based on collective defence.
- Warsaw Pact, 1955
- Soviet-led alliance formed after West Germany joined NATO.
- Deterrence
- Preventing attack by making it too costly.
Worked example: Reassuring one side, alarming the other
Explain two effects of a promise of mutual defence.
- Members feel safer, since an attacker would face several countries.
- The rival sees a threat and strengthens its own alliance.
- Each side feels safer, but tension between them grows.
Watch out for this
The Warsaw Pact began Europe's division in 1955.
Europe was already divided by the late 1940s. The Warsaw Pact made the split more lasting.
Check your understanding
What is collective defence?
- Each country defends only itself.
- An attack on one member is treated as an attack on all.
- A promise never to build weapons.