On April 4, 1949, the United States and several other capitalist states signed the Atlantic Pact. This document was the starting point in the creation of the NATO bloc. The term “Atlantic Pact” was used in the Soviet Union, while among the allies it was officially called the North Atlantic Treaty.
In 1949, the paper was ratified by the USA, France, Great Britain, Denmark, Belgium, Italy, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Canada. Gradually, new countries joined the treaty. For the last time in 2009, Croatia and Albania entered the alliance.
Principle of collective defense
The founding treaty of NATO was drawn up in the first years after World War II. Participating countries became allies in order to ensure their own security. The Atlantic Pact consisted of many agreements, but their key meaning can be called the principle of collective defense. It was a commitment by Member States to defend their NATO partners. In this case, not only diplomatic, but also military means are used.
The signing of the Atlantic Pact led to the formation of a new world order. Now most of the countries of Western Europe and their main ally in the person of the United States are under a common roof, which was supposed to protect states from external aggression. Creating the foundation of the future organization, the Allies took into account the bitter experience of the Second World War and especially those years before it, when Hitler repeatedly wound European powers around his finger, unable to give him a serious rebuff.
General planning
Of course, the Atlantic Pact, with its principle of collective defense, did not mean that states were freed from their duty to defend themselves. But on the other hand, the treaty provided for the possibility, according to which the country could cede part of its own defense tasks to NATO partners. Using this rule, some states refused to develop a certain part of their military potential (for example, artillery, etc.).
The Atlantic Pact included a general planning process. It exists to this day. All Member States agree on their military development strategy . Thus, in a defensive aspect, NATO is a single organism. The development of each military industry is discussed between countries, and they all adopt a common plan. Such a strategy saves NATO from distortions in stimulating its defensive potential. Together, the necessary military means are determined - their quality, quantity and readiness.
Military integration
The cooperation of NATO member states can be divided into several main layers. Its attributes are a collective consultative mechanism, a multinational military command structure, an integrated military structure, joint financing mechanisms and the willingness of each country to send an army outside its territory.
The ceremonial signing of the Atlantic Pact in Washington marked a new round of allied relations between the Old World and America. The old defensive concepts that collapsed in 1939 on the day when parts of the Wehrmacht crossed the Polish border were rethought. NATO's strategy began to be based on several key doctrines (the first to adopt the conventional arms doctrine). From the moment the alliance appeared and until the fall of the Soviet Union, these documents were kept secret, and only high-ranking officials had access to them.
Cold War Prologue
After World War II, international relations were unsteady. The debris of the old order gradually built a new one. Every year it became increasingly clear that soon the whole world would be held hostage by the confrontation between the communist and capitalist systems. One of the key points in the development of this antagonism was the signing of the Atlantic Pact. The cartoons dedicated to this treaty knew no bounds in the Soviet press.
While the USSR was preparing a mirror response to the creation of NATO (it became the Warsaw Pact Organization), the alliance has already placed emphasis on its future plans. The key goal of the union is to show the Kremlin that war is not beneficial to either side. The world, entering a new era, could be destroyed by nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, NATO always adhered to the point of view that if war could not be avoided, all the participating states should protect each other.
Alliance and USSR
Interestingly, the Atlantic Pact was signed by people who understood that NATO did not have a numerical superiority over a potential adversary (meaning the USSR). Indeed, in order to achieve parity, the Allies needed some time, while the power of the Communists after the Great Patriotic War was not in doubt. In addition, the Kremlin, or rather Stalin personally, managed to make the states of Eastern Europe their satellites.
The Atlantic Pact, in short, provided for all scenarios for the development of relations with the USSR. The allies hoped to balance the post-war situation by coordinating their actions and using modern combat methods. The key task of the development of the bloc was to create technical superiority over the army of the USSR.
NATO and third countries
The governments of all countries of the world watched how the Atlantic pact was signed. Caricature after caricature was published in the communist press, a lot of materials appeared in the press of the "third states". In NATO itself, many formally neutral countries were seen as potential allies of the bloc. Among them, primarily were Australia, New Zealand, Ceylon, the Republic of South Africa.
Turkey, Greece (they later joined NATO), Iran, numerous Latin American states, the Philippines, and Japan were in wavering status. At the same time, as of 1949, there were some countries whose governments adhered to an open policy of non-intervention. These were Germany, Austria, Iraq and South Korea. NATO believed that in the event of the outbreak of war with the USSR, the bloc will succeed in securing the support of at least some potential allies and launch a large-scale offensive in Western Eurasia by combined forces. In the Far East, the alliance planned to adhere to defensive tactics.
War strategy
When the Atlantic Pact was signed, the date of which (April 4, 1949) became a landmark in the entire history of the 20th century, the leaders of the Western powers already had draft plans in hand for the case of aggression of the Soviet Union. It was assumed that the Kremlin would primarily want to go to the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Middle East. In addition, NATO’s strategy was built according to fears that the USSR was ready to launch air attacks on the countries of the Old World and the Western Hemisphere.
The Alliance's key transport artery was the Atlantic. Therefore, NATO paid special attention to ensuring the security of these routes of communication. Finally, the worst case scenario included the use of nuclear weapons of mass destruction. The ghost of Hiroshima and Nagasaki haunted many politicians and the military. Based on this danger, the United States began to create a nuclear shield.
Nuclear weapon factor
When the treaty was signed in Washington, a universal plan for the development of the armed forces was adopted until 1954. For 5 years, it was planned to create a joint allied contingent, which would include 90 land divisions, 8 thousand aircraft and 2,300 well-armed ships.
However, the main emphasis in the race between NATO and the USSR was placed on nuclear weapons. It was his predominance that could compensate for the quantitative lag that developed in other areas. According to the Atlantic Pact, among other things, the post of Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Joint Armed Forces of NATO in Europe appeared. He was in charge of preparing a nuclear program. This project has received great attention. By 1953, the alliance realized that they would not be able to stop the seizure of Europe by the Soviet Union if nuclear weapons were not used.
Additional arrangements
According to the Atlantic Pact, in the event of a war with the USSR, NATO had an action plan for each region where military action could take place. So, Europe was considered the main zone of confrontation. The Allied forces in the Old World were to hold back the Communists for as long as the defensive potential was enough. Such tactics would allow to tighten reserves. After concentrating all the forces, it was possible to launch a retaliatory attack.
It was believed that NATO aviation had enough resources to organize air attacks on the USSR from the North American continent. All these details were hidden behind a magnificent ceremony, which marked the solemn signing of the Atlantic Pact. It was difficult for the cartoons to convey the true danger that the growing confrontation between two different political systems hid.