The Formation of NATO

1. Look at Source 2. What did NATO members agree to do?    

     NATO members agreed to keep up their individual and collective captivity to resist armed attacks. The countries also agreed that an attack against one or more of the countries in Europe or North America would be considered an attack on all of them.   

2. The members of NATO argued that this was a defensive alliance. Explain why Stalin was not convinced about this.    


Stalin was not convinced that the formation of NATO was a defensive alliance because once a country was attacked, the others would join in. The countries in the formation of NATO were against communist control and formed an alliance to back each other up in case the Soviets attacked. Therefore,   Stalin didn't believe it was a defensive alliance because if he attacked a country in Europe, other countries in NATO would join in to back up the country attack, not to defend their own country. If 


3. Study the cartoon in Source 4. Does the cartoon give the impression that Stalin feels threatened by NATO?     

Source 4 gives the impression that Stalin feels threatened by NATO. In the picture he is shown alone while the Western leaders watch him waiting for him to make a move. Once NATO was formed, the Western leaders waited for Stalin to make the next move. Stalin knew he he decided to attack one of the countries in NATO, he would be up against all of them, so he wasn't making any quick moves. He felt threatened and unsure about what to do.

4. Explain how Sources 4 and 5 present NATO in different ways.   

Sources 4 and 5 present NATO in different ways. Source 4 presents NATO waiting for Stalin to make a move. They formed their alliance and know that Stalin feels threatened by them, so they are waiting to see what he is going to do. The tone of the cartoon is tense and anxious. Source 5, however, presents NATO in a much more violent way. Source 5 shows NATO as a dog about to attack the German Democratic Republic. Source 5 depicts that NATO was formed as a weapon of war instead of a defensive alliance.  


5. Now explain why they present NATO in different ways.   

The two sources present NATO in different ways because they are taken from the perspective of the Soviets and the Americans. Source 4 is drawn by David Low, an American. Source 4 shows the American view on the NATO formation as being an alliance against communism and waiting for Stalin to make a move. Neither of the countries were waging war against Stalin, only waiting. If Stalin attacked one of them, all would considered attacked. Source 5, is a Soviet cartoon drawn from the Soviet view of NATO. Source 5 is the view that NATO was formed as a war tactic against the Soviets; as depicted as a violent dog ready to attack. Both sides had a different interpretation of why NATO was formed which is represented through two different cartoons.