The Formation of NATO

1. Look at Source 2. What did NATO members agree to do?    
  The NATO members agree to go two things.  This first is that they agree to not try and attack any other countries and the second is that they will all help out another country if that country is attacked.


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 members of NATO were taking a defensive alliance.  Stalin felt that NATO was a direct attack against him.  NATO contained many European countries and America, so it felt as if it was the rest of the world against him.  Also, this alliance seemed to just be a way to justify all the countries attacking stalin if he tried to spread Communism.  Since the rest of the "world" (Europe and America) was setting themselves up to fight Stalin under NATO, Stalin felt that this was quite provocative and not at all defensive.


3. Study the cartoon in Source 4. Does the cartoon give the impression that Stalin feels threatened by NATO?     
  The cartoon does not give the impression that Stalin feels threatened by NATO.  That is shown by how the cartoon shows a card game in which Stalin holds many cards as if he is in control of the game.  If he is in control fo the game, he is not threatened.  Also, the cartoon shows Stalin sitting strongly in his spot, as if he would never move, and that does not give the appearance of being threatened.  Therefore the cartoon does not show Stalin as feeling threatened.


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 as extremely civilized people dealing with the USSR.  This is shown by having all of the men in NATO sitting together in their suits across for Stalin playing a nice game of cards and waiting patiently for Stalin to take his turn.  Source 5, on the other hand, shows NATO as a savage dog that is just trying to attack the USSR's "Republic" in Germany.  Clearly the two ways NATO is presented are very different.


5. Now explain why they present NATO in different ways.     
  Source 4 and Source 5 have reasons for presenting.  Source 4, which is assumed to have been put out by the USA or a country in NATO, displays NATO as being innocent and civilized.  This means that, if there is a conflict, it has to just be Stalin acting up because it cannot be NATO's fault.  This would give the public another reason to hate the USSR and Communism.  Source 5, which displays NATO as a savage, was put out to the people of the USSR. Since the capitalist NATO countries are clearly attacking them, this would give the people of the USSR a reason to hate capitalism.  Both sources do use the cartoon to evoke feelings of hatred toward the people they are trying to conduct a war against and that is why they convey NATO as they do.