NATO and the Warsaw Pact

Origins and implications on the Cold War

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation International Alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty

signed in April 1949 Collective defense – member states agree to mutual

defense in the case of attack It is implied though not specifically stated that countries

will engage militarily if a member state is attacked Cooperation, intelligence and technology sharing an

integral part of the agreement First wartime action taken during the Bosnian War which

began in 1992

NATO – What is it?

The first NATO Secretary General, Lord Ismay stated (1949) that the

organisation’s goal was, “to keep the Russians out, the Americans in and the Germans down.”

Key events leading up to NATO formation… “Iron Curtain” speech Truman Doctrine Marshall Plan Soviet “Sphere of Influence” Berlin airlift

The Korean War is considered the pivotal event that encouraged NATO members to continue with NATO and make it formidable. Before the war it was fairly weak.

Motivation for NATO?

BelgiumCanadaDenmarkFranceGreat BritainIcelandItalyLuxembourgNetherlandsNorwayPortugalUnited States

Original Members - NATO

NATO Countries Today

that NATO is anachronistic The Cold War is over – no longer necessary It is dominated by the United States The United States contributes between one-

fifth and one-quarter of NATO's budget That Russia is constantly threatened by NATO

and therefore its existence makes international cooperation difficult

Example: Former USSR republics such as Georgia and Ukraine have applied for membership

NATO Debate – Arguments against

Some feel…

Dominated by USA?

This cartoon represents what many feel

Threatens the authority of the UN and other

multilateral organisations That the US uses NATO as an excuse to stay present

in Europe – Europeans feel their sovereignty threatened

Not “current” enough – lack of clarity on issues of cyber attacks, maritime piracy, terrorism and other threats that are not State-specific

Not all countries participate equally in conflicts such as in Afghanistan (USA, Canada, GB and Denmark have paid heavy prices, for example)

Arguments against continued

NATO benefits all members due to exchange in

technology, intelligence and military operations Bold long-term initiatives can only happen with

international cooperation (such as ballistic missile defense) such as this

It has proven its worth by its large expansion, with more countries applying all the time

Even though some countries (such as Luxembourg) are not able to make significant contributions due to size or economic situation, they are still considered important members

NATO debate – Arguments ForSome feel…

The democratic principles that led to its founding

are still in place and can help “transition” countries suffering from formerly oppressive governments

Aggression is deterred because of the strength of the alliance

NATO is a defensive alliance and therefore Russia nor any other country should feel threatened by it

NATO’s expansion will actually help eliminate any post Cold War fears by bringing in central Europe, for example into a Euro-Atlantic alliance

Arguments for continued

Mutual defense treaty was a between

communist states of Eastern Europe 1955-1991 (Collapse of the USSR) Warsaw Pact initiated by the USSR Military arm of the Comecon (council for

mutual economic assistance) Direct response to West Germany joining

NATO in 1955

Warsaw Pact

Soviet Union felt threatened by the events

following WWII and Berlin Airlift confirmed this USSR determined not to be invaded again

(Napoleon, Germans in WWI and WWII) USSR controlled the Armed Forces of the Pact

in order to insure this The Marxist-Leninist socialist movement must

be preserved

Motivation – Warsaw Pact

Albania Bulgaria Czechoslovakia East Germany Hungary Poland Romania USSR

Warsaw Pact - Member States

Warsaw Pact vs NATO

On 12 March 1999, the Czech

Republic, Hungary, and Poland joined NATO

Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia joined in 2004

Croatia and Albania in 2009

Soviet Sphere to NATO