The Formation of NATO

The formation of NATO summary

After the Second World War, Europe was devastated. Many countries had very weak economies and had dramatically reduced armies. This left them both militarily and ideologically vulnerable.

The Soviet Union emerged from the war with a far bigger breadth of power, having installed armies across the states of Central and Eastern Europe. Stalin’s Iron Curtain had descended across Europe as the USSR built up a buffer zone by installing communist governments in Eastern European countries. This buffer zone safeguarded the USSR from any attacks from the West.

The Western allies feared that the Soviets might want to expand this buffer zone by capturing more countries in Europe through the appeal of communism or military domination.

Monetary aid from the Marshall Plan was helping to rebuild and develop strong economic ties between countries. However, many felt that economic prosperity was not enough to stave off the Soviet threat and that the countries needed greater military cooperation to ensure that some of the smaller and more vulnerable countries in Western Europe were protected- this led to the formation of NATO.

Reasons for the formation of NATO

We now know the main reason for the formation of NATO- protection from Soviet aggressive expansionism. This was compatible with the US Policy of Containment stressed by the Truman Doctrine.

The coup d’état in Czechoslovakia

In February 1948, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia took complete undisputed control of the government of Czechoslovakia. As Czechoslovakia was the last Eastern European democracy, it shocked the Western world and consolidated the USSR’s power.

Fearing the Soviet’s increasing stronghold, it spurred Western European countries to start discussing collective defence to protect other countries.

Pro-communist demonstrations in the country before the coup, Wikimedia Commons.

The Berlin Blockade

The Berlin Blockade of 1948 demonstrated that the Western and Eastern zones could not peacefully co-exist and that the USSR was a volatile and unpredictable force in the Cold War. It showed what the Soviet Union was capable of and stressed the need for a defensive organisation in case they tried similar stunts in other European countries.

Increased US presence in Europe

The Cold War tensions and the acceleration of the nuclear arms race made it more important for the US to have influence and presence in Europe. In the event of a Soviet attack on any of the capitalist European states, the US could intervene quickly and effectively if they had military bases in Europe. Establishing NATO enabled them to place weapons and potentially nuclear missile sites in their member states that were closer to the USSR.

China and North Korea

The USA was becoming increasingly worried about the spread of communism following China’s Communist Revolution in 1949. The world was looking increasingly ‘red’, and this power could threaten the Western world. This fear was further compounded by North Korea becoming a fully-fledged communist state in 1949 and the subsequent Korean War. This encouraged the NATO allies to create a military structure with headquarters in Paris.

The formation of NATO

In 1948, Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg had created the Brussels Treaty, which assured mutual defence. However, these states recognised that they would need to create a stronger and larger alliance to counter the threat of the Soviets.

Britain, Canada, and the US engaged in talks in March 1948 about a collective defence organisation to enhance security and promote democratic values. France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Norway joined these talks in 1949. From there, the North Atlantic Treaty was formed.

Member States

• 1949: The original members were the USA, Canada, Britain, France, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Italy, and Portugal.

• 1952: Greece and Turkey joined.

• 1955: West Germany joined.

• 1982: Spain joined.

The purpose of NATO

NATO created an alliance of countries that would work cooperatively to build up their militaries and support each other in the event of an attack. The articles within the treaty, signed by its members, all work to support these purposes:

• Provide collective defence to members

• Prevent Soviet expansionism

• Encourage European cooperation

• Maintain a US presence in Europe

• Prevent a revival of nationalist militarism

Article 5

The treaty consists of 14 articles, outlining how countries will support each other militarily. Article 5, however, is arguably the most important of the NATO alliance as it enshrines collective defence. It states that

This means that if one NATO member is attacked then all NATO nations will respond.

Formation of NATO and the Cold War

The formation of NATO further deepened the split between capitalist and communist powers. As NATO was a defensive rather than offensive strategy, however, there was no real threat to the USSR, hence it did not immediately create its own military alliance.

In 1954, the Soviet Union actually suggested it should join NATO to help preserve peace in Europe. However, its offer was rejected as the other members felt there was an ulterior motive to weaken the treaty.

It was West Germany’s 1955 admission into NATO that pushed the USSR into forming their own version, the Warsaw Pact; West Germany was allowed to join NATO and permitted an army and air force. This worried the USSR, who felt that it may lead to a renewal of Germany’s strength and power. The Second World War had only ended ten years earlier and its brutality was fresh in the minds of many who had fought, lost people, or suffered its long-term consequences.

In response, the USSR created its own military alliance- the Warsaw Pact. West Germany joining NATO was a turning point in the Cold War; with the formation of the Warsaw Pact including East Germany, the Iron Curtain was well and truly established.

The formation of the Warsaw Pact

On 14 May 1955, the communist states of Eastern Europe came together to form a military alliance with similar security aims to NATO. Relations among those who signed the treaty were based upon mutual non-intervention in the internal affairs of the member countries, respect for national sovereignty, and political independence. Member states were also obligated to intervene if any of the Warsaw Pact countries were threatened.

Member States

The original members were the USSR, East Germany, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania.

Consequences of the formation of NATO and the Warsaw Pact

There was never any direct confrontation between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, but the threat of nuclear war was enough to deter them from attacking each other.

‘Massive retaliation’

NATO adopted the doctrine of ‘Massive Retaliation’ if the Soviet Union attacked. This meant that they would respond with nuclear weapons for even the smallest of transgressions. This prevented either side from taking any risks as the consequences would be extreme.

The NATO alliance members could, as a result, focus on economic growth rather than building large armies. Members could also focus on scientific and political cooperation (such as the Space Race) rather than solely military.

The Warsaw Pact and the invasion of Czechoslovakia

When Czechoslovakia threatened the stability of the Eastern bloc in 1968 by relaxing some restrictions in what was known as the Prague Spring, the USSR invaded the country using troops from the Warsaw Pact. Every member of the Warsaw Pact (excluding the Socialist Republic of Romania and the People’s Republic of Albania) participated, quickly and effectively crushing the Prague Spring.

This single demonstration of the power of the Warsaw Pact tightened the USSR’s control of its states. They could attribute the invasion to the Warsaw Pact countries rather than just the USSR and it deterred any other Eastern bloc countries from rebelling against the USSR for years.