In 1949,the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was a response to the perceived threat of Soviet aggression in Europe after World War II. The key provision of NATO was Article 5, which stated that an attack on one member nation would be considered an attack on all, and that all member nations would respond accordingly. This provision was designed to deter Soviet aggression and provide collective defense for Western Europe. The Warsaw Pact, created by the Soviet Union in 1955, was a response to NATO and was a mutual defense treaty among Soviet-bloc countries. However, the creation of NATO preceded the creation of the Warsaw Pact. Option A is incorrect because the Warsaw Pact did not exist until 1955, several years after NATO was created. Option B is incorrect because NATO did not call for a de-militarized zone across Western Europe, and such a zone would not have been an effective response to the Soviet threat. Option D is partially correct, but option C is the best choice because it identifies the most significant and defining aspect of NATO.