NATO and The Warsaw Pact

During the Cold War two alliances were formed, NATO(North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and the Warsaw Pact. NATO is the alliance formed by the US and Eastern Europe nations to prevent the spread of communism, it was officially established on April 4,1949. Eastern Europe was economically and politically weak at the end of WW II, the agreement helped with economic aide under the Marshall Plan. The Soviet Union responded by creating the Warsaw Pact on May 14,1955 in Warsaw,Poland. The Warsaw Pact mainly consisted of the Soviet Union which dominated the alliance and its satellite countries. The Soviet Union keeping military personnel in other countries of the alliance and kept them running socialist governments. As the US's relationship with the Soviet Union worsened NATO's importance grew, with Western leaders felt threatened. The Soviet Union spread communism throughout Eastern Europe and started to reach the military capability of the Western Powers. An ever-worsening crisis began in the 1980's but was stopped by the signing of the Intermediate Nuclear Treaty in 1987 which began the breakdown of the Warsaw Pact. In March of 1991 all of the joint military functions ceased and in July of 1991 the leaders of the six countries still in the Pact decided to dissolve.