How did the climate of the Cold War contribute to the development of the Warsaw Pact?
The cold war between the U.S. and U.S.S.R resulted in the formation of two different camps NATO and the Warsaw Pact.It was a geopolitical, ideological, and economic rivalry between them. The climate of mistrust was the main factor in feeding and prolonging the cold war.
The United States and 11 Western nations and later it included Turkey, Greece, West Germany and Spain decided to create the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949 because of the Communist expansion in the world and especially in Europe. The European continent was divided where some countries were part of NATO while the others were part of the Warsaw Pact. This division helped create a military standoff between the two blocs during the cold war which lasted from 1945 - 1991. On the other hand the Warsaw Pact was actually formed six years after NATO was formed. The Warsaw Pact was formed as a direct result of West Germany joining the NATO alliance in 1955. The main purpose of the Warsaw Pact was to act as a deterrent against an enemy attack by any of the NATO alliance members against the Pact. The U.S.S.R took advantage of the Warsaw Pact to have more influence on the member states and prevent them from seeking to be more independent from its influence.
how did a major event effect the overall development of the Cold War?
There were various events that marked the cold war between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. which was supported by their allies. Some of those events are the arms race, the
competition to conquer space. The most famous event of the cold War between the U.S. and U.S.S.R was the Cuban Missile Crisis in October of 1962. For 13 days the U.S. and U.S.S.R. leaders were engaged in a tense political and military standoff. U.S.S.R and U.S. leaders found a way to resolve the crisis however it made both countries realize that they needed to establish a direct line of communication to help defuse similar situations in the future. Later on both superpowers signed several treaties related to nuclear weapons. The other event was the erection of the Berlin Wall, overnight the people of the city of Berlin found themselves either part of the Eastern bloc (communism) or Western capitalist. Families were separated depending on which part of the city you were at when the wall came up.
what Political, economic, and militaristic interest served the U.S. and U.s.s.r?
The cold war allowed both the U.S. and U.S.S.R. to spread their own beliefs around the World. The U.S. championed capitalistic economic theories and democracy whereas the U.S.S.R. were pushing communism, and Marxist doctrine throughout the world and especially within their sphere of influence like Eastern Europe. The cold war allowed each country to expand their influence and have proxy wars such as in Vietnam, Korea, Cuban Missile Crisis, Cambodia, Chile Military Junta, Middle East Conflict (1973 - 1989), Ethiopia, U.S.S.R occupation of Afghanistan, Angola civil war, Salvadoran Civil War and Nicaraguan Civil War. The proxy wars were a way for the U.S. and U.S.S.R. not to confront each other directly because they both feared that the war will quickly escalate into a nuclear ore. The first proxy war was the Korean war and it started on June 25 1950 when North Korea with the help of the U.S.S.R invaded South Korea.
The cold War also helped fuel the competition between the U.S. and U.S.S.R in space. The U.S.S.R surprised the world and especially the U.S. when the launched in 1957 Sputnik into the earth’s orbit. It was the first man made artificial satellite to orbit the earth.
WHERE IS the WARSAW PACT AND WHY IS ITS LOCATION STRATEGIC TO THE u.s and the u.s.s.r?
The Warsaw Pact consisted of the following countries: U.S.S.R., Poland, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), Hungary, Poland and Romania. The location was very strategic for both superpowers at the time because the battles for the cold war were fought around the globe. They both practiced the concept of containment. The countries listed were very important because of their locations and proximity to either the U.S.S.R like Poland or East Germany and its closeness to West Germany. This allowed each superpower to protect its sphere of interest.
The idea of containment was not enough and the U.S. felt that they needed to build more arms because president Truman recommended that the country used military power to stop the expansion of communism anywhere it was happening.
what are some long-term impacts that the Warsaw Pact affected the lives of people in the nations involved other than U.s. and U.s.s.r?
The Cuban Missile crisis had a drastic effect on the Cuban people as well as the Turkish one. They clearly found out that they were caught between two superpowers trying to Protect their sphere of influence. They also found out that they are vulnerable because in the case of an all out war between the U.S. and U.S.S.R they will be the first hit and invaded since they would be considered a threat. This stems from the fact that they are too close to each country. Cuba is only 90 miles away from Florida and Turkey bordered the U.S.S.R.
Families were separated when the U.S.S.R. and East Germany built a wall along the border with West Germany. The wall was built without any regards on how it will affect families. Some found themselves living next to each other for 50 years because the wall just went through either their house or farm land. Brothers and sisters were able to see each other through the fence that was build. Even the city of Berlin was divided and lots of the citizens of East Berlin would risk their lives trying to cross the wall into West Germany. Some even jumped from high buildings that were close to the wall over to the other side because they wanted to escape the repressive regimes of the U.S.S.R. and Eastern Germany and others because they wanted to be with the families and relatives.