The formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, April 1949 Flashcards
(18 cards)
what was there a strong perception of in the USA?
that Europe should make a significant contribution towards its own defence
how had Europe already started creating defence organisations for themselves?
with the formation of a European defence organisation known as the Western European Union (WEU)
who were members of the WEU?
Britain, France and the Benelux countries
what was the overt aim of the WEU?
to prevent any form of German resurgence that might threaten the security of post-war Western Europe
what was the creation of the WEU signalling to the USA?
that Western Germany, as Europe as a whole, was under threat from a communist advance and that the USA must take a more proactive role in the development of a strong European defence system
what was the USA’s thinking in the early stages?
an Atlantic alliance, rather than a purely regional European alliance, should be created
what was the Atlantic alliance to mean for the USA?
a means of reassuring Western European states in the face of possible Soviet military aggression
how was the creation of NATO useful for the USA?
it gave the USA a regional defence organisation that would complement containment and in which the USA was a key player
what type of defence was NATO, for the USA?
NATO was primarily a political defence system rather than a military organisation that could undermine long-term objectives for Europe
when was NATO created?
4 April 1949
what was Article 1 about?
it defined the military parameters: ‘to settle any international disputes…by peaceful means’
what was Article 2 about?
‘The Parties will contribute toward the further development of peaceful and friendly international relations…They will seek to eliminate conflict.’
what did Article 5 state?
concerning 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.’
who were the Soviet objections to NATO summed up by in 1949?
Alexander Panyushkin, the Soviet ambassador to the United States
what did Panyushkin argue?
that NATO was an aggressive organisation designed to pressurise states into complying with the interests of Britain, the USA and their allies
what did the USSR emphasise?
its lack of intent to attack any state in Europe
NATO members
Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Italy, Iceland, France, the UK and the USA
why was the creation of NATO a clear point in the Cold War?
from this point, international relations between the East and West entered a new phase of hostility
