History - NATO/Warsaw pact/ Arms race/ Space race/ Hungarian uprising/ Berlin wall

Revision for mini assessment

When was NATO formed?

April 1949

Why was NATO formed?

As a defence alliance to counter the Soviet threat and promote collective security among member nations.

Which countries were involved in NATO?

England, France, West Germany, USA

What agreements were made between members of NATO?

Article 3: Parties will resist armed attack by keeping up their own military

Article 5: Parties will agree that an armed attack on one is an armed attack on all

What was NATO important in?

It intensified the arms race

What did NATO confirm?

The commitment of the USA into western europe

What were the consequences of NATO?

• USA now firmly committed to defence of western Europe

• Stalin did not believe it was a defence alliance - he believe it was aimed against the Soviet Union

• Intensified the arms race - development of powerful nuclear weapons

• Caused Stalin to set up the Warsaw pact

• USA set up its own missile bases in western Europe

When was the Warsaw Pact set up?

1955 (6 years after NATO)

Why was it formed?

As a direct response to NATO. It was a military alliance of 8 nations that aimed to counter the threat of NATO.

Which countries were part of the Warsaw Pact?

Soviet Union

Albania

Poland

Romania

Hungary

East Germany

Czechoslovakia

Bulgaria

What agreements were made in the Warsaw Pact?

Mutual defence and the idea that an attack on one was an attack on all.

What was the Warsaw Pact important in?

Intensifying the arms race

Additional info on Warsaw Pact?

A joint command structure was set up under the Soviet Supreme commander (ensured that the Soviet Union maintained control over the military strategy and operations of its Warsaw Pact allies during the Cold War)

Consequences of the Warsaw Pact?

• Played important role in Czechoslovakia Crisis of 1968

• Existence of two rival alliance systems increased rivalry

• Intensified the arms race

What was the arms race?

A race between the United States and the Soviet Union to build and develop the most powerful nuclear weapons and military technology (led to a massive buildup of nuclear arsenals and heightened global tensions)

When did USA test its first atomic bomb?

July 1945

When did the USSR test its first atomic bomb?

August 1949

How did Truman respond once USSR got its bomb?

• Ordered a new powerful bomb (the H-bomb)

• Increased defence spending

How did USSR respond to Truman’s actions?

Increased own spending

How powerful was one H-bomb?

Explosive power equivalent of 15 million tonnes of TNT

Which events worsened the situation of the arms race?

• U2 crisis of 1960

• Events in Berlin 1961

What was a positive consequence during 1950s of spending so much on nuclear weapons?

Reduced their spending on conventional weaponry

What was Sputnik?

A satellite which could orbit the Earth in 1.5 hours (which USA saw as a military threat)

How did USA respond to Sputnik?

• Increased spending on missiles by 20%

• President Eisenhower founded NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)

• Increased number of B-52 bombers and equipped some of its submarines with nuclear weapons

• Placed missile bases in European countries (West Germany)