NATO and The Cold War

In June 1950, a year after the formation of NATO, North Korea, supported by the Soviet Union, invaded South Korea. This offensive by North Korea, led by communist leader Kim Il Sung, created fear among NATO members of a Communist takeover. Although NATO forces were not involved in this conflict, it forced NATO to consider bolstering their commitment to Western Europe. In 1952 Greece and Turkey became NATO members. 

On 5th March 1953, Joseph Stalin died at the age of 74. He was succeeded by Nikita Khrushchev, who continued to lead the Communist regime as it was under Stalin. By the mid-1950s, NATO continued to expand geographically and increase its sphere of influence to increase security against Communist expansion and create unity within Wester Europe. 

A key event within the Cold War and a further catalyst to the struggle for influence and power of Europe from both the NATO members and the Communist Eastern Bloc came in 1955, when West Germany joined NATO. This was seen as a direct threat to the USSR and their position in East Germany. As a result of this in May 1955, the USSR formed the Warsaw Pact which included, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, East Germany, and Albania. The aim of the pact was similar to that of the NATO allies. By the end of 1955, both the West and the East had strong political and military alliances, establishing a call for support if either should ‘make a move’. 

In October 1961 a US spy plane spotted the construction of a Soviet missile base in Cuba. At the shortest distance, Cuba is 103 miles away from the USA. As a result of this President Kennedy chose to blockade Cuba and begin to plot other military moves in case of a need for active conflict. Due to Kennedy’s desire to act quickly, the US did not advise the UK until 7 days after the spy plane first sighted the missile base and proceeded not to tell the other NATO allies until a day after conversations with the UK. Although there was agreement between the NATO allies that a blockade was a necessary move, there was discontentment amongst the alliance. Some members felt the last-minute notification and lack of consultation showed divisions in the military alliances and agreements made by the nations surrounding political consultation before action. War was averted when Russia removed the weapons on the 28th October, and the US did not invade Cuba, but NATO’s fighter planes were ready and on standby to act. US defence secretary Robert McNamara stated “we lucked out” in response to the near use of NATO nuclear weapons. 

In the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis NATO decided to replace its tactic of ‘Massive Retaliation’, which meant in the face of aggression the members could move away from peace to total nuclear war, to the more favourable ‘Flexible Response’. This came to be known as ‘Détente’. Détente, meaning the easing of hostilities and strained relationships, would allow for a more open dialogue between the countries of East and West Europe. The Soviet led invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968 sought to end political liberalisation in the country known as the Prague Spring. Although this was another attempt of the USSR to gain further political control of the Warsaw Pact countries, the NATO allies were focused on promoting détente between the alliances as the role of NATO shifted from not just preserving peace in Europe, but to promoting and helping positive change for a peaceful future. 

However, in 1979, the Soviets invasion of Afghanistan and the use of ballistic missiles led to a suspension of the Détente policy, with an offensive planned to deploy nuclear capabilities and ground missiles if negotiations could not reach a swift and peaceful end. This deployment was not intended to begin until 1983. In the meantime, there was hope of an arms control agreement to be made, which included the agreement of both the NATO and Warsaw Pact members. By 1983 there was no agreement between NATO and the USSR, which caused internal NATO division when deployment of the missile offensive began. However, with the ascent of Mikhail Gorbachev as Soviet Premier in 1985, the United States and the USSR signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987, meaning all nuclear and ground missiles with intermediate ranges were eliminated from conflict. 

The series of events that took place between the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the official end of the Soviet Union in 1991, changed modern politics and international relations across the globe. The fall of the Berlin Wall acted as a catalyst for a wave of democratic revolutions across Europe, and the Eastern Bloc of the Warsaw Pact countries came to an end. 

While the demolition of the wall brought a new era of democracy, peace, and a sense of togetherness, there was a sense of uncertainty amongst the NATO allies. Would Germany remain neutral? What would happen with the current nuclear weapons and Soviet forces within East Berlin and Germany? Would there be a resurgence in Nationalism? 

The biggest question remained: Was there a need for NATO at all? 

For NATO, the fall of the Berlin Wall was symbolic of the ideological divisions between the East and the West. For the people, The Berlin Wall and its presence in their lives was a symbol of oppression and personal divide, with families being split up overnight and separated until the wall came down. The wall itself was decorated by artists and the people as a form of expression and highlights feelings towards the wall and the world around them.