1.
Throughout the Cold War, the two sides were part of
military alliances known as NATO (West) and the
Warsaw Pact (East).

2.
After World War Two
ended, it was clear
that the USA and USSR
were now huge rivals.
Winston Churchill
described an ‘Iron
Curtain’ as dividing
Eastern and Western
Europe.

3.
By the end of the 1940s,
there were many events
that worried countries in
the West.
The USSR developed their
own atomic bomb and
China, the world’s
biggest country, became
Communist.

4.
The USSR had also shown
signs of taking control
of parts of Europe.
In 1948-49 the (failed)
Berlin Blockade attempted
to force the Allies out
of Berlin. The Soviets
continued to control
countries such as Poland.

5.
Western European
countries worried about a
possible Soviet attack.
The Truman Doctrine meant
that the USA offered
protection to countries
under threat of attack.
The US now took steps to
formalise this.

6.
In April 1949, NATO
(North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation) was
established.
This was a military
alliance where all
countries were pledged to
defend each other if they
were attacked.

7.
There were originally 12
NATO members, including
the USA, UK, France,
Italy and Norway.
These countries now had
the protection of the USA
and its nuclear weapons,
reducing chances of
Soviet invasion.

8.
Through NATO, US troops
were based across
Western Europe,
especially West
Germany.
The US also had air
force, submarine and
missile bases across
Europe, including in
Italy and Britain.

9.
The USSR saw NATO as a
threat that could be
used to attack them,
especially after West
Germany joined in 1955.
In May 1955 they set up
their own military
alliance – called the
Warsaw Pact.

10.
Like NATO, all Warsaw
Pact members had to
defend the others if they
were attacked.
Warsaw Pact members
included the USSR,
Poland, Hungary, East
Germany and
Czechoslovakia.

11.
The Warsaw Pact helped
extend Soviet control of
Eastern Europe.
Unlike NATO, Warsaw Pact
members could not choose
to leave, as shown by the
Soviets’ invasion of
Hungary when they tried
to do so in 1956.