Cold War 1946-55 - Military Divisions: NATO, The Warsaw Pact, the early Arms Race

What was the Czech Coup in 1948 and how did it contribute to the formation of NATO in 1949?

At the start of 1948, Czechoslovakia still had a genuine coalition government, with President Benes and Jan Masaryk envisioning good relations with the East and the West. Pressure from the Soviets, however, forced Czechoslovakia to pull out of receiving Marshall Aid, with the USSR, instead providing 600,000 tons of grain. Attempting to counter the growing communist influence, several political parties resigned from government, hoping to force an election. Before an election could take place, the communist party persuaded Benes to allow them to form a government without the parties that resigned and he acquiesced to these demands. The Communists arrested and intimidated opponent and Masyrk died in mysterious circumstances, with the Communists seizing power within 5 days.

How can the Czech Coup be seen as contributing to the formation of NATO in 1949?

Events in Czechoslovakia in 1948 aroused fears and suspicions of Soviet expansion, particularly as it was a state where it had initially maintained free and fair elections, as agreed at Yalta and Potsdam. Western European leaders now deeply concerned about the lengths to which Stalin was prepared to go to ensure his control of Europe, particularly with no European countries in a strong economic position to resist the Red Army. NATO can be seen as a response to this suspicion over expanding Soviet control, not wanting communism to spread further and present a strong united western alliance for mutual defence, due to the 250 Red Army divisions that still remained in Eastern Europe.

How did the Treaty of Brussels 1948 contribute to the formation of NATO?

The Treaty of Brussels was a further response by the Western powers to the Czech Crisis. It was a treaty of collective security between Britain, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, with the signatories promising to come to each other’s aid if one of the five was attacked militarily. Unlike the previous Dunkirk Treaty, which was to counter a possible revival in the German threat, the aim of Brussels was to counter the threat of the USSR. However, without the support of the US, the treaty meant very little as it was felt by the 5 countries that the US would be needed to organise the effective defence of Western Europe. Pre-conditition for NATO - very similar aims but with the backing of the US - Clear that it felt US military presence in Europe would be necessary to effectively protect Western Europe from possible Soviet military expansion and threat.

How did the Berlin Blockade ensure the US’s commitment to remaining in Europe and therefore contribute to the formation of NATO?

Prior to the Berlin Crisis, the US still planned to withdraw from Europe, instead focusing on economic reconstruction and not giving their support to the five countries of the Treaty of Brussels. However, the events of the Blockade and the Airlift showed that the Europeans weren’t strong enough to resist the Soviets with US assistance - American planes had flown over 1.7 million tons of supplies to Berlin, compared to the British total over half a million and the French not supplying any aircraft, still crippled by war.

What was NATO? How was it advantageous to the countries that signed it?

It was primarily a security alliance, stating that a military attack against any one country would be an attack against them all. It tied the strongest country in Western Europe, Britain, to a recovering continent and it reassured anxious governments that Soviet expansion would be resisted, now being a joint responsibility rather than being purely an American one. It also meant that the US military would now be able to base itself in the middle of Europe and respond quickly to any threat from the East.

Which countries joined NATO?

In 1949, there were 12 signatories to NATO - Great Britain, France, the US, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Portugal. West Germany joined in 1955.

How was NATO significant in the progression of the Cold War/what did it mean for East-West relations?

• The threat to the security of Europe became more severe — split Europe into two military, armed blocs backed by nuclear weapons with Russia’s successful testing of the A-Bomb in 1949, fixing the line of the Iron Curtain — this introduction of military threat made war inevitable, beginning a new phase of hostilities

• Warsaw Pact in response to West Germany joining NATO in 1955 - completely split the two sides of Germany — any chance of reunification now impossible, tearing apart Germany and Wurope

• Reflected mistrust and paranoia between the two sides, with both sides feeling that war was inevitable — the addition of Greece and Turkey in 1952 and West Germany in 1955 - further building up of defences, crystallising the two sides, with each country in Europe forced to pick a side

Why was the Warsaw Pact formed in 1955 and not in 1949?

In 1955, West Germany was admitted into NATO, comitting all the other members to defence of the republic if it was threatened militarily by the Soviets. With this, there was compulsory military service and, by 1961, the West German army was the second largest in NATO, with 350,000 soldiers, right on the doorstep of the USSR’s satellite states. The Warsaw Pact was established to counter this threat - a defensive alliance involving the USSR and the satellite states of Eastern Europe.

Which Eastern European states were involved with the Warsaw Pact?

Signatories to the treaty - the USSR, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania

What was involved in the Warsaw Pact and what effect did it have on an East German army?

It was largely designed to ensure close integaration of military, economic and cultural policy betweent the eight communist nations and to counter their perceived military threat of the West, particularly the West German Army. After the Warsaw Pact, the USSR began to expand the fledgling East German Army with Soviet equipment, though conscription wasn’t introduced until 1962 — by the later 1950s, the two Germanies on opposite sides of the Cold War, allied with former enemies.

What was the significance of the USSR’s successful testing of their first Atomic bomb in 1949 for the Cold War?

The American’s best defence against a Soviet attack, their atomic monopoly, was now lost. Though the US had foreseen the Soviets producing an atomic bomb, the speed with which they were able to came as a surprise. Truman responsed by calling for the US to build up its conventional and nuclear weapons — beginning of the Arms Race, which would become a key element of the Cold War.

What were the main developments in the Arms race by 1945?

• The US were the first to develop the Atomic bomb - first successful test in July 1945.

• At this point, the US had a nuclear monopoly

• The Baruch plan was proposed, calling on the US to share its knowledge of nuclear technology but stupulated that no other nation would be allowed to develop atomic weapons. The plan was dropped, however, as the USSR objected to it, seeing it as a plan for the US to keep its monopoly.

What were the main developments in the Arms race by 1949?

• August 1949 - USSR exploded its own atomic bomb, ending the American nuclear monopoly

• Both sides were now equally matched and so the race to develop a super bomb commenced

• The US deciced to develop a hydrogen bomb, 1000x more destructive than the A-bomb

• The Arms race accelerated as both sides turned to attempting to produce more powerful fusion bombs, trying to get the highest number of and the most powerful bombs in order to gain the upper hand.

How had the Arms race developed/changed by 1955?

The pace and power of the Arms race significantly increased - In 1952, the US tested the H-Bomb. This time, however, the US monopoly was far shorter - In 1953, the USSR tested their superbomb, which was easier to use as a conventional bomber. Eisenhower was elected in 1953 and significantly increase American reliance on its nuclear arsenal - ‘Massive Retaliation.’
In 1954, the USA tested its own lithium bomb - the thermo-nuclear age had arrived. The race then involved developing more effective delivery systems and the US deployed B-52 bombers permanently in the air.

What was the significance of the acceleration of the Arms race from 1945 to 1955 on the Cold War and East-West relations?

The Arms race significantly worsened between 1945 and 1955 - as soon as both powers had atomic bombs, the threat of world annihilation and extinction seemed much more the reality, the race accelerating as both sides became desperate to have the most powerful and largest supply of nuclear weapons — suggests the real threat and paranoia both sides felt about the possibility of nuclear war. By 1955, the chance of a nuclear attack was far more more likely than in 1945.