THE NATO EXPANSION: DID THE WEST DECEIVE GORBACHEV?

Authors

  • Saidbek Mamasoliev

Abstract

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is security organization created by the United States, Canada, and several Western European countries in 1949 to counter the Soviet Union[1]. Tensions amongst the Soviet Union and the U.S rose after World War II due to disagreements over the occupation of Germany and the spread of communism in Eastern European countries. Fearing the rise of communism in Europe and the possibility of a bilateral deal between the Soviets and Western European countries, the United States, under the Truman administration, proposed a European-American alliance that would ensure American commitment to strengthening the security of Western Europe[2]. NATO played a crucial role in deterring Soviet aggression and protecting Allies from its threat throughout the Cold War. It was also more than a military pact, and its members had shared values such as democracy, liberty, and the rule of law that they sought to uphold through the organization[3]. The events from the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, the subsequent reunification of Germany followed by the disbanding of the Warsaw Pact until the official fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 significantly changed Europe and the World[4]. These events eliminated NATOs raison d’etre since there was no threat of military invasion or nuclear war in Europe, and former Warsaw Pact countries were democratizing on their own.

 

[1] Roache, Madeline. "Breaking down the complicated relationship between Russia and NATO." Time (2019).

[2] Ibid. 1

[3] Wallander, C. A. (2000). Institutional assets and adaptability: NATO after the Cold War. International organization54(4), 705-735

 

[4] Ibid 705-735.

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Submitted

2024-06-18

Published

2024-06-09