NATO and the Cold War
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Last updated almost 2 years ago
6 questions
Read each section and answer the questions to the right of the reading.
Analyze the historical context that led to the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, including major events of the Cold War that necessitated its establishment.
Let's have a fun trip back in time to understand how the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also known as NATO, came to be. After the end of World War II, the world was split into two large political camps. On one side, we had the United States and its allies who were supporting democracy and capitalism. On the other side, the Soviet Union and its allies were promoting the idea of communism. The Cold War era was marked by tension and competition between these two groups, but it wasn't a typical war with military battles. Instead, it was more about a race on who could have the better technology, economy, and global influence. Everyone wanted the upper hand, leading to lots of tension. It was in this scenario that the idea of NATO was born. The countries who supported democracy were concerned about the growing power and influence of the Soviet Union. They wanted to ensure that they could protect each other if the Soviet Union or its supporters decided to attack. To give strength to this idea, the North Atlantic Treaty was signed on 4th April 1949. By signing this Treaty, the countries agreed that an attack on any one of them would be considered as an attack on all the NATO members. This way, they hoped to discourage any possible attacks. So that's how NATO was formed, against the backdrop of the Cold War, as a way to unite nations in their resistance against the possible spread of communism.
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Understand and articulate the core purpose and function of NATO, within the framework of the Cold War and its broader global implications in maintaining peace and security.