What was nato in the cold war

The former required a massive influx of aid to help the war-torn landscapes re-establish industries and produce food, and the latter required assurances against a resurgent Germany or incursions from the Soviet Union.

The United States viewed an economically strong, rearmed, and integrated Europe as vital to the prevention of communist expansion across the continent. As a result, Secretary of State George Marshall proposed a program of large-scale economic aid to Europe. The resulting European Recovery Program, or Marshall Plan , not only facilitated European economic integration but promoted the idea of shared interests and cooperation between the United States and Europe.

Soviet refusal either to participate in the Marshall Plan or to allow its satellite states in Eastern Europe to accept the economic assistance helped to reinforce the growing division between east and west in Europe. In —, a series of events caused the nations of Western Europe to become concerned about their physical and political security and the United States to become more closely involved with European affairs.

Truman to assert that the United States would provide economic and military aid to both countries, as well as to any other nation struggling against an attempt at subjugation.

A Soviet-sponsored coup in Czechoslovakia resulted in a communist government coming to power on the borders of Germany.

Attention also focused on elections in Italy as the communist party had made significant gains among Italian voters. Furthermore, events in Germany also caused concern. The occupation and governance of Germany after the war had long been disputed, and in mid, Soviet premier Joseph Stalin chose to test Western resolve by implementing a blockade against West Berlin, which was then under joint U. Its largest military engagement was the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia with the participation of all Pact nations except Romania.

Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. Search for:. For 36 years, NATO and the Warsaw Pact never directly waged war against each other in Europe; the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies implemented strategic policies aimed at the containment of each other in Europe while working and fighting for influence within the wider Cold War on the international stage.

Licenses and Attributions. CC licensed content, Shared previously. In the aftermath of World War I and World War II, Soviet leaders felt very apprehensive about Germany once again becoming a military power—a concern that was shared by many European nations on both sides of the Cold War divide.

In the mids, however, the U. The Soviets warned that such a provocative action would force them to make new security arrangements in their own sphere of influence, and they were true to their word.

This lineup remained constant until the Cold War ended with the dismantling of all the Communist governments in Eastern Europe in and Like NATO, the Warsaw Pact focused on the objective of creating a coordinated defense among its member nations in order to deter an enemy attack. There was also an internal security component to the agreement that proved useful to the USSR.

The alliance provided a mechanism for the Soviets to exercise even tighter control over the other Communist states in Eastern Europe and deter pact members from seeking greater autonomy. When Soviet leaders found it necessary to use military force to put down revolts in Hungary in and in Czechoslovakia in , for example, they presented the action as being carried out by the Warsaw Pact rather than by the USSR alone. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present.

The U. Senate ratified the treaty by a wide margin in June During the next few years, Greece, Turkey, and West Germany also joined. In recent years, for example, NATO forces were active in trying to bring an end to the civil war in Bosnia. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! He had finished with career home runs, one shy of the all-time record set by Babe Ruth.

On April 4, Opening Day, a year-old Aaron sent the very first pitch he saw over the wall, finally tying On April 4, , at a time when most Americans used typewriters, childhood friends Bill Gates and Paul Allen found Microsoft, a company that makes computer software. In , Ebert started co-hosting a movie review program on TV On March 21, , a major offensive against Allied positions in the Somme River region of France began with five hours of bombardment from more Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox.