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FORMATION OF NATO - 4th APRIL 1949 - Coggle Diagram
FORMATION OF NATO - 4th APRIL 1949
BRUSSELS PACT 1948
Signed on
17th March 1948
Signed between
Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
Promised
mutual defence
against an 'aggressor'
Had clauses on social and cultural co-operation and plans to set up a Consultative Council (discuss mutual problems)
Bevin saw this as a way to continue to
prevent the spread of communism.
Bevin wanted the Brussels Pact to be secured by an Atlantic alliance with the USA being a key member.
By end of March secret meetings were being held between GB, Canada and US to explore the alliance.
Would lead the NATO
(North Atlantic Treaty)
FORMATION OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANISATION (NATO)
Events in Czechoslovakia and the Berlin Blockade convinced the
USA
that they needed to
commit formally to the defence of W. Europe.
Resulted in the North- Atlantic-Western European alliance.
Became increasingly clear that
NATO were in favour of plans for creating a West German state
since it eased fears of a revitalised German state, which might fall to communist pressure.
WHAT WAS THE WEU AND WHAT WAS ITS AIM?
The USA’s transition from isolationism to globalism was uncertain. Nor was it certain that the USA would commit itself to the long-term defence of Western Europe.
There was a strong perception in the US that Europe should make a significant contribution towards its own defence
To some extent this process had already begun, with the formation of a
European defence organisation known as the Western European Union.
Its members included
Britain, France and the Benelux countries
(Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands)
Aim was to
prevent any form of German resurgence that might threaten the security
of post-war Western Europe
WHAT INFLUENCE DID WEU HAVE ON US FOREIGN POLICY?
By its creation,
European states were signalling to the USA
that Western Germany and Europe as a whole was
under threat of a communist advance
and that the US must take a more
proactive role
in the development of a stronger European defence system.
USA’s thinking in the early states was that an Atlantic alliance, rather than a purely regional European alliance, should be created.
PURPOSE OF NATO AND HOW DID IT HELP THE USA?
Meant to
reassure Western European states in the face of possible Soviet military aggression.
Gave
USA a regional defence organisation
that would complement the policy of containment and in which USA was a key player.
NATO was a
political defence system
rather than a military organisation that could
undermine long-term objectives for Europe
MEMBERS OF NATO WERE :
Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Italy, Iceland, France, UK and USA
TERMS OF NATO
Article 1
of the agreement defined the military parameters ‘to
settle any international disputes by peaceful means
’
Article 2 states
‘ The
parties will contribute towards further development of peaceful and friendly international relations…. They will seek to eliminate conflict
’
Article 5
stated a much more direct commitment to military action when it stated ‘The
parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all
’
SOVIET RESPONSE :
Panyushkin – Soviet Ambassador to USA claimed
NATO = an aggressive organisation designed to pressurise states into complying with the interests of GB, USA and their allies.
The
USSR emphasised its lack of intent to attack any state in Europe
It was
clear that by the time NATO had been created the Cold War was in place.
From this point on international relations between East and West entered a new phase of hostility.