There are always at least two sides in any conflict. In World War I it was the Triple Alliance and t
he Triple Entente. In World War II it was the Axis and Allied powers. In World War III it would have
been the nations of NATO and the nations of the Warsaw pact. Luckily, the later never developed; th
ere was no World War III. However, this was not due to lack of trying as throughout the later part o
f the 20th century the two factions previously mentioned, characterised by the Warsaw pact and the a
cronym NATO respectively, were at each others throats in a tense, bloodless struggle that came to be
known as the Cold War; a war during which no shots were fired, but was a thousandfold more dangerou
s than any other conflict. This potentially catastrophic struggle for world domination was caused by
diverse international factors, however, one of the largest of said factors was the division of the
world into two camps; the NATO countries and the Warsaw pact nations, or, as George bush said it, "t
he Cold War began with the division of Europe" (1), which was what these two factions accomplished.
What, then. were the circumstances that surrounded the creation of these two entities and how exactl
y did they contribute to the tensions during the Cold War? These are the very questions that shall b
e examined in this essay, beginning with a brief explanation of the creation of the organizations re
ferred to as NATO and the Warsaw Pact and the circumstances surrounding their creations. After World
War II, the state of international diplomacy seemed bright: the major powers were allied together,
Japan and Germany had been defeated, and all the soldiers could return home. With the USSR and the U
S as allies, it seemed that war was now a thing of the past. This soon changed, however, as East-Wes
t relations continued to deteriorate. "Because they faced a common enemy in Hitler, the Grand Allian
ce became a marriage of necessity forged by the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union"
(2) and with the war over the differences between the communism of the USSR and the capitalism of th
e US became more and more apparent. What followed was a serious set of political faux pas and incide
nts that served to confound East-West relations in the postwar world. Two major incidents that set t
he stge for the coming rivalry were the Czechoslovakian crisis and the Berlin Blockade. The Czechosl
ovakian crisis refers to the Soviet coup that occurred in the state of Czechoslovakia in 1948 where
the leaders of the government were deposed and pro-Soviet leaders were appointed. This resulted in t
he "American Senate (voting)....to extend the Marshall Plan (, which was a plan of economic aid to E
urope,)....in the hope of preventing communist success elsewhere" (3). The Berlin blockade was far m
ore serious as it involved "the Soviets...(imposing) a blockade on all road and rail traffic into th
e former national capital" (4) of West Berlin, which was under allied control. These two incidents,
and other similar ones, forged an atmosphere of growing distrust and set the world along the road to
the Cold War and the formation of NATO and the Warsaw Pact. NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Orga
nization, was a military alliance between what became the western bloc countries against the perceiv
ed threat of the USSR and communism. The original countries, which included Belgium, Canada, Denmark
, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the Unite
d States, who was essentially the dominate member, signed the North Atlantic Treaty on April 4, 1949
which pledged them to protect one another in the event of a war with the USSR. Since most of these
nations were generally on "the same side", if you will, during World War II, NATO was, in many respe
cts, a continuation of wartime alliances into a new era during which the previously allied countries
thought that they were threatened by a new threat. This threat was Russia, now the USSR. At the end
of World War II, Soviet Russia was basking in its victory of Nazi Germany and though the war "left
Russia with 1700 towns, 70000 villages, 80000 miles of railroad, and 800 bridges destroyed" (5), Rus
sia was launching another of its five year plans for economic and industrial recovery and appeared t
o be one of the major powers of the postwar world. Also, the USSR had successfully set up several pu
ppet regimes in Eastern Europe, which were referred to as satellite states of the USSR, in such coun
tries as Albania and Czechoslovakia. The US began to see these acquisitions with fear since "the key
geopolitical problem has long been considered the alignment of Europe, because imbalances in that a
lignment have touched off two wars in this century" (6). Thus, to counter the growing influence of t
he USSR, the US pushed for an alliance between the remaining "free" nations of Europe and North Amer
ica. With this step, the NATO powers began a policy that "the West called....containment" (7), which
was essentially a policy of matching the USSR step for step to maintain a world peace. Though this
policy, in effect, maintained a semblance of world peace and prosperity, the true feeling in the int
ernational arena of politics at the time was one of suspicion, tension and fear. What the creation o
f NATO really began was half a century of political struggle between the two major blocs of the worl
d; the NATO countries, and the countries of the soon to be formed Warsaw Pact. The Warsaw Pact becam
e the soviet response to the formation of NATO. Generally speaking, the Warsaw Pact was a treaty bet
ween 7 eastern European countries, namely Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary,
Poland, Romania and Russia (USSR) which stipulated the member countries obligation of mutual defence
in regards to one another in the event of a war between them and the Western bloc nations. Like NAT
O, the Warsaw Pact would have its dominant member, and this member was clearly Russia as she had ins
talled puppet communist regimes in all of these nations prior to the signing of the Warsaw Pact. In
fact, Soviet troops already occupied most of the regions defined by the Warsaw Pact nations, and thu
s "the signing (of the Pact) is interpreted as simply a de jure recognition of the existing state of
affairs" (8). However, it did serve some purpose, as the end of the Austrian Treaty threatened troo
p placements in Eastern Europe, which was previously done under the pretense of guarding lines of co
mmunication, as it terminated the agreement through which Russia had previously stationed troops in
this area. Thus, one of the most important stipulation of the Warsaw Pact was the ability of Russia
to occupy the member countries of the Warsaw Pact in the name of self defence and the defence of the
other member states. This, in effect, insured Russia's dominance in the region. Finally, the act ca
n also be seen as the result of "the presence of and outside threat and the need for a Soviet sponso
red security system to deal with it" (9). The final result of this pact, though, beyond the immediat
e military implications for Eastern Europe, was to create a counterpart for NATO; a foe towards whic
h the hostility of nearly fifty years would be directed. The world had again been divided into two c
amps, and it then looked like war was again possible.
there always least sides conflict world tripl
e alliance triple entente world axis allied powers world would have been nations nato nations warsaw
pact luckily later never developed there however this lack trying throughout later part century fac
tions previously mentioned characterised warsaw pact acronym nato respectively were each others thro
ats tense bloodless struggle that came known cold during which shots were fired thousandfold more da
ngerous than other conflict this potentially catastrophic struggle domination caused diverse interna
tional factors however largest said factors division into camps nato countries warsaw pact nations g
eorge bush said cold began with division europe which what these factions accomplished what then wer
e circumstances that surrounded creation these entities exactly they contribute tensions during cold
these very questions that shall examined this essay beginning with brief explanation creation organ
izations referred circumstances surrounding their creations after state international diplomacy seem
ed bright major powers allied together japan germany been defeated soldiers could return home with u
ssr allies seemed thing past soon changed however east west relations continued deteriorate because
they faced common enemy hitler grand alliance became marriage necessity forged united states great b
ritain soviet union over differences between communism ussr capitalism became more more apparent wha
t followed serious political faux incidents served confound east west relations postwar major incide
nts stge coming rivalry czechoslovakian crisis berlin blockade czechoslovakian crisis refers soviet
coup occurred state czechoslovakia where leaders government deposed soviet leaders appointed resulte
d american senate voting extend marshall plan which plan economic europe hope preventing communist s
uccess elsewhere berlin blockade serious involved soviets imposing blockade road rail traffic into f
ormer national capital west berlin under allied control incidents other similar ones forged atmosphe
re growing distrust along road formation north atlantic treaty organization military alliance betwee
n became western bloc countries against perceived threat ussr communism original countries included
belgium canada denmark france great britain iceland italy luxembourg netherlands norway portugal uni
ted states essentially dominate member signed north atlantic treaty april pledged them protect anoth
er event since most generally same side will during many respects continuation wartime alliances int
o previously thought they threatened threat threat russia russia basking victory nazi germany though
left russia towns villages miles railroad bridges destroyed launching another five year plans econo
mic industrial recovery appeared major powers postwar also successfully several puppet regimes easte
rn europe referred satellite states such albania czechoslovakia began acquisitions fear since geopol
itical problem long been considered alignment because imbalances alignment have touched wars century
thus counter growing influence pushed between remaining free north america step began policy called
containment essentially policy matching step step maintain peace though policy effect maintained se
mblance peace prosperity true feeling international arena politics time suspicion tension fear creat
ion really half century political struggle blocs soon formed response formation generally speaking t
reaty eastern european namely albania bulgaria czechoslovakia east germany hungary poland romania st
ipulated member obligation mutual defence regards another event them western bloc like would have do
minant member clearly installed puppet communist regimes prior signing fact troops already occupied
most regions defined thus signing interpreted simply jure recognition existing state affairs serve s
ome purpose austrian threatened troop placements eastern previously done under pretense guarding lin
es communication terminated agreement through stationed troops area thus most important stipulation
ability occupy name self defence defence other effect insured dominance region finally also seen res
ult presence outside need sponsored security system deal final result though beyond immediate milita
ry implications create counterpart towards hostility nearly fifty years would directed again divided
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