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NATO

History: KS3, topic 20.1.6

NATO

NATO stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. It was set up in 1949 in case of a military attack by the Soviet Union on Western Europe.

Who?

Who?

  • NATO was set up in 1949.
  • It was a military alliance made up of:
    • The United States, Britain, Canada, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, and France.
  • In 1955, the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) became a member.
Why?

Why?

  • The NATO alliance was based around the idea of “collective security” (when one country is attacked, the other countries in the alliance must help them.)
  • NATO was set up in case of a military attack by the Soviet Union on Western Europe.
The USSR's response

The USSR's response

  • The founding of NATO showed that the USA and Western European countries would stand up to Soviet aggression.
  • In response to the creation of NATO, the Soviet Union made the Warsaw Pact in 1955.
    • This strengthened their control of Eastern Europe.
The Warsaw Pact

The Warsaw Pact

  • The Warsaw Pact (May 1955) created an alliance to directly rival NATO.
  • The alliance included:
    • The USSR, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, East Germany (GDR), Albania.
  • This alliance bonded the countries even more closely.

Test yourself on NATO

  • What does NATO stand for?

  • Which country was NOT an original member of NATO?

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