Trade+Agreements+and+Alliances

Russell Dyess and Ian Buffum AP World History Wiki Draft

After the conclusion of WWII many nations started to form alliances for the mutual defense of one another. Including nations such as NATO, WTO, and the U.N.


 * NATO **

There were two sides in this “war” NATO which was formed to protect member nations from the possible aggression of the Soviet Union, and the WTO or the Warsaw Pact which was formed later by the Soviets and other communist countries as a response to NATO. By the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949, the member countries solidified their position as allies for the mutual defense of one another. Formed as an antisocialist and communist alliance or group while the Cold War was going on, NATO as of late has attempted to redefine its place in the world or its mission as tensions have simmered down. As time passed different nations petitioned to join NATO and got in until the next significant event in the year of 1989 coming with the demolition of the Berlin Wall, and with it tensions between the East and West began to subside because of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Instead of breaking apart NATO has now expanded its role to permit “out-of-area” activity.

As the former states of the Soviet Union broke away during the period of time between 1989 and 1991, they concluded the need for added security and applied to join NATO. Rejected initially, NATO then went about changing its policy, in 1995 NATO required applicants to “demonstrate a commitment to democracy and human rights, a free-market economy, and democratic control of the military.” Countries such as the Czech republic met these standards and were admitted in March of 1999 and then a second group later in 2004, and Russia has even been admitted as a junior partner.

NATO’s council (NAC or North Atlantic Council) meets at least once a week, and each member has one permanent representative. “NAC decisions are made by common consent rather than majority vote”


 * SEATO **

Other treaty organizations also began to form, such as SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization). “SEATO was a U.S.-sponsored collective security arrangement for Southeast Asia.” SEATO was formed as a consequence for SEA’s (South East Asia’s) failure to stand as one during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu and against the “Chinese communist threat.”

Motivated by President Eisenhower and his administration, representatives met with delegates of Pakistan, Thailand, and the Philippines. The defensive arrangement that they formed was slack, and was meant to provide mutual protection of regional nations. SEATO’s main difference with NATO was how it failed to create a defense system or defensive response to a threat. SEATO did not have a permanent armed force and when an attack occurred no unified response was required, another of SEATO’s downfalls, was that it failed to obtain traction throughout SEA because few nations joined. SEATO’s protocol for Indochinese countries allowed for probable cause for U.S. engagement in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, and after Saigon’s sac SEATO failed to exist on the 30th of June 1997 at Bangkok, Thailand.


 * U.N. **

Formed on October 24, 1945 by the 51 nations who signed the United Nations Charter, the UN was created to achieve certain goals or at least work towards them and some of the most important of those goals include: social and economic advancement for all countries, international human rights, and the continuation of global peace and security.

The UN’s governing council is made up of 15 nations, 5 of them being the permanent members, (United States, United Kingdom, Russia, France, and China) and the remaining ten nations are voted onto the Security Council every two years by the UN’s member nations or the UN General Assembly.

The UN over the course of its existence has deployed its force, known as the peacekeepers to stop hostilities and control conflicts throughout the world. The peacekeepers are a totally neutral force who act to stabilize areas or simmer down conflicts and not only do they act after the conflict has started sometimes they will offer their presence to promote peace during something controversial such as an election. For this they have been recognized, winning two Nobel Peace Prize’s for their work in attempting to achieve world peace.


 * NAFTA **

In 1993 the “North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)” was created to build bridges of free commerce between the countries of North America (Canada, U.S., and Mexico) and is evidence of the U.S. government’s continued will to promote free trade in a post WWII world. In late 1994 the United States and 34 other nations met to discuss the possible expansion of NAFTA into a organization to be known as the FTAA of Free Trade Area of the Americas. FTAA members would include the former NAFTA signatories and the democracies of South America, Central America and the Caribbean. Even though aims were set to have the FTAA agreement ratified by 2005, no such agreement has been reached.


 * The Warsaw Pact **

The Warsaw pact was a cold war treaty signed by eastern European countries controlled by the Soviet Union, regulating trade in these countries, and unifying them into a political entity. Countries included in the pact are:
 * Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Eastern Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union

The USSR initially created the Warsaw Pact as a response to NATO, which had included West Germany. Similar to the western treaty, the Warsaw Pact called all Soviet controlled nations to the defense of one another, and unified their combined armies under one general, Marshal Ivan S. Konev of the Soviet Union. During the Cold War, these combined nations took preemptive measures against a war with territories governed by NATO, Americas response to this, preparing for war as well, is what generated the war.

As the years passed, many nations under the Pact withdrew from its control, each replacing their respective communist with new forms in the process. In the end, the destruction of the pact coincided with the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990’s. After disbanding, many of the former members have joined with the NATO alliance, with the exception of Russia who remains independent.


 * ANZUS **

ANZUS, or the Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty, Is a military treaty between the U.S. and south pacific countries of Australia and New Zealand. Formed in 1951, the treaty allows the U.S. safe passage in south pacific territories in the name of defense. Initially created to defend against Japanese attacks and protect against other threats from south pacific nations, it has evolved into a strong defensive cooperation between its members and keeping each nation safe.


 * Mercosur **

Mercosur, a South American trade agreement formed in 1991, allows the countries under it free tariff free trading, and promise of greater financial gain from trades. The countries under this agreement are:
 * Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay

This treaty, helps regulates trade between its members, and with international trades. Under the treaty, countries are provided with substantial savings by creating a common market linking each country’s economy, meaning each trade made by one country either benefits, or hurts each other member. Their decisions are then regulated by the treaty and the process is completed.


 * EU **

The European Union, or EU, is an economic agreement between 27 European countries; the treaty organizes and unifies the economies of the countries under its control, allowing them to trade freely without fear of any threat. The countries under the EU are:
 * Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and finally the United Kingdom

This treaty created initially in 1952, to unite the economies of Europe. Similar to how NATO organizes military forces, the EU organizes the economies of Europe. They adopted a common currency (the euro) to make trade easier, and help to keep lasting peace between one another. Under this united economy, each member ensures that none of its fellow members grow into a substantial threat to the global community.

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