Alliance Systems

The Cold War caused nations to choose between the US and the Soviet Union

1949- NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)- founded by the US

- reason: to respond to a Russian invasion of Western Europe

- US, Great Britain, France, Canada, and 11 other small countries joined

- idea: if one of them gets attacked, the attacker fights them all

1955- the Warsaw Pact

- Soviet Union made its own copy of NATO

- Soviet Union, communist nations of Eastern Europe, and a few others

- idea: respond to a possible attack by NATO