at height of berlin blockade → Western powers → met in Washington → and signed agreement to work together.
- resulted in North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) → in April 1949
There would be many parts to treaty.
- Most important → was that all NATO members → agreed to go to war if any member was attacked
- Truman wanted to make it clear → to Stalin → that US would intervene in Western Europe if necessary
NATO countries → would provide US forces → with secure bases in Europe. US allies such as Britain → were happy → to have US in Western Europe → as it guaranteed protection from a possible Soviet attack.
Not surprisingly → USSR → did not see alliance in same way.
- Soviets → saw it as a threat → by the Western powers → that split the world into 2 military blocs