- At the end of the Second World War, two distinct blocs clashed. The United States and the USSR enter the “Cold War”. This conflict will last throughout the second half of the XX e century, until the fall of the USSR.
- While tensions between East and West grew rapidly in the late 1940s (Berlin blockade, etc.), Westerners negotiated the establishment of a defense collective. The Europeans are at the origin of this request, because of the proximity of the Red Army on the continent. On April 4, 1949, after more than a year of negotiations, twelve countries signed the Atlantic Alliance.
1949-1955
Characters
Joseph Stalin
Harry Truman
Procedure
The outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950 increased tensions between the two blocs. Westerners see it as a diversion on the part of the USSR, which plans, according to them, to attack Europe.
NATO The diplomatic and military consequences of the Korean War are almost immediate. The Atlantic Alliance, which is a classic coalition (each country keeps its army), will project itself into a new mode of operation. In 1951, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization became operational:a military and political structure was set up, but this time permanently.
The civil structure was made up of a general secretariat and a Council which represents all the signatory countries. The military structure is made up of two supreme commands (one for the Atlantic and one for Europe).
The West thus sets up a homogeneous military organization against the Soviets.
Warsaw Pact
Faced with the structuring of the Western bloc, the USSR responded quickly. Already, when the Atlantic Alliance was signed, the Russians condemned the aggressive nature of such an alliance. In reaction to the creation of NATO, the Russians were at the origin of the Warsaw Pact, signed on May 14, 1955.
This military alliance between the popular democracies of the USSR (Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, GDR, Romania, Czechoslovakia) and Russia must make it possible to present a more homogeneous force on the border of Europe. As for NATO, we find the principle of a unified command.
Consequences
- The creation of NATO led to the arrival of 300,000 American soldiers in Europe. They settle in the various bases of the member countries of the organization. American dominance is present, as foreseen by the functioning of NATO:the supreme commanders in Europe are American generals, appointed by the President of the United States.
- The organization of the Warsaw Pact intervened in Hungary (1956) and in Czechoslovakia (1968) to repress any desire of the populations to want to emancipate themselves from the communist regimes. The pact dissolves on 1 st July 1991, 5 months before the fall of the USSR.
- NATO continues to exist despite the demise of the USSR. It has been involved in various conflicts since the end of the Cold War, such as in Bosnia (1996) and Afghanistan (2009).