Standard Grade Modern Studies

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Standard Grade Modern Studies

• Military Alliances
• - NATO -

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Member countries
Member countries
WHAT IS NATO??
OVERVIEW?
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What is NATO?

• After World War Two, USSR had liberated most of
  Eastern Europe from the Nazis, but had replaced
  fascist ideas with communist ideas.
• The countries of Eastern Europe effectively
  became puppet states of USSR.
• Fear in the West of continued Soviet expansion.
• So in 1949, a military alliance called NATO
  (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) was formed
  between the USA, Canada and the nations of
  liberated Europe (15 countries).
• Idea was that if any member country of NATO was
  attacked, was seen as an attack on the whole
  organisation.

• Was NATO a success?
• After 1949, no further expansion of communism so
  can be argued that NATO was a success.

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The Cold War

• From 1945 - late 1980s, USA and its allies faced
  USSR and its allies across an Europe divided by
  the ideologies capitalism and communism.
• Although the 2 Superpowers had immense
  military power in the shape of nuclear weaponry,
  did not go to war directly with one another.
• Instead, supported by their allies, they spied
  on each other, threatened each other, took each
  other to the brink of war.
• This period, which lasted over 40 years, was
  called the COLD WAR.
• The threat of all-out nuclear war between the
  two sides was prevented by the fear that there
  would be no winners in a nuclear war.
• This stalemate was often called the balance of
  terror.

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Why was there so much rivalry?
The answer to this lay in the differing
ideologies of the two sides.

• Ideology based on CAPITALISM - linked to
  democracy.
• Under capitalism, people have great individual
  freedom and choice to live and work as they want.
• Many people could own their own businesses,
  become rich and enjoy a good lifestyle.

• Ideology based on COMMUNISM.
• Here the Government controlled every aspect of
  peoples lives - from farming to education etc.
• There was no individual freedom, no free
  elections to change the government- only one
  political party - the Communist Party.

Vs
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Why was there so much rivalry?

• Both countries were convinced that their
  ideology was right and were frightened that the
  other would expand its influence over a wider
  area.
• Both Superpowers built up alliances to
  strengthen their positions (The USSR started a
  similar alliance to NATO in 1955 - called the
  Warsaw Pact).
• The threat of nuclear war was never far away
  through the 1950s - 1980s.

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Why did the Cold War end?

• From 1960s - 1980s, many attempts made by Us and
  USSR leaders to reduce development of nuclear
  weapons.
• President Reagan elected in 1980 - took hard
  line with Soviets
• Position changed in 1985 with election of
  charismatic Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev.
• He wanted change. In his own country, developed
  policies of Glasnost (freedom) and
  Perestroika (economic freedom and flexibility)
• Wanted his own country to improve and have more
  freedom - not interested in fighting an expensive
  Cold War.

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Change and the Fall of Communism

• Agreements were reached to reduce nuclear and
  conventional weapons between the 2 Superpowers.
• Countries under the influence of the USSR began
  to change (wanted more freedom). Gorbachev
  encouraged this.
• Series of revolutions swept across E Europe as
  communists removed from power and democratic
  elections held (eg. in Poland, Romania,
  Czechoslovakia etc.)
• Ideological division which had split Europe was
  removed.
• But people of USSR also wanted more freedom -
  various parts of USSR broke away and became
  independent countries (eg Ukraine)
• USSR reverted to Russia - led to fall of
  Gorbachev and weakening of Russia as a Superpower.

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NATOs Changing Role
The role of NATO has changed since the end of the
Cold War

• The new approach includes
• Less dependence on nuclear weapons.
• More flexible forces which can take on a variety
  of tasks
• Greater use of multinational forces.
• Active involvement in international peacekeeping
• More co-operation with organisations like the
  United Nations

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Do We Still Need NATO?

• Arguments FOR
• NATO formed to stop communism which is no longer
  a powerful force
• Cold War is over. United defence forces are based
  on out-of-date ideologies.
• European countries should have their own
  alliances without relying on the USA.

• Arguments AGAINST
• Russia could still become unstable.
• Former Yugoslavia still an area of possible
  future conflict - NATO might be needed to
  intervene.
• NATO may be required to control actions of rogue
  states countries like Iran
• NATO is an organisation with power to combat
  world terrorism

Vs
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The Future of NATO

• Some former members of the Eastern European
  communist block want to join NATO.
• Partnership for Peace policy set up in 1994 to
  draw these countries closer to NATO
• NATO forces of each member country have been
  reduced and reorganised - new tactics have made
  them more flexible to reponsive to crises.
• USA, in the light of world terrorism, has
  realised that close ties are needed with Europe -
  particularly fast and flexible response.
• Need for Europe to police its own security
  without relying on NATO.

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The Future of NATO

• Intention of EU to set up a rapid reaction
  force of 60,000 troops to deal with security
  threats in Europe - humanitarian/rescue tasks,
  peacekeeping tasks etc.
• NATO regards Russia as vital to European
  security. NATO now consults regularly with
  Russia on political and security issues like
  peacekeeping, nuclear safety etc.
• The new relationship with Russia is seen by many
  as proof that NATO is concentrating on combatting
  international threats like world terrorism.
• USA has tried to expand the role of Europe in
  NATO - no longer USA the rest. The US is
  less involved in European events.
• NATO has been enlarged from 18 to 26 members.