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Origins of the Cold War
Quick questions on The formation of NATO and the Warsaw Pact explained: O-Level History
5short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is the growing fear in the West?Show answer
By the late 1940s the Western powers were increasingly afraid of the Soviet Union. They had watched Stalin take control of Eastern Europe, install communist governments, and then attempt to force the West out of Berlin in the blockade of 1948 to 1949. The Soviet Union also had a huge army in Europe. The Western European countries, weakened by the war, felt they could not defend themselves against a possible Soviet attack on their own.
What is the formation of NATO, 1949?Show answer
The result was NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, formed in 1949. Its members included the United States, Canada and many Western European countries. The heart of NATO was a promise of collective defence: an armed attack on one member would be treated as an attack on all, so that the full power of the United States stood behind Western Europe. This was meant to deter the Soviet Union from any attack, since it would mean war with America.
What is q1?Show answer
In which years were NATO and the Warsaw Pact formed? [3 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Explain why the Western powers formed NATO in 1949. [5 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
"The formation of NATO and the Warsaw Pact made the Cold War more dangerous." How far do you agree? [8 marks]
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