Which alliance was formed in 1949 for mutual defense among Western nations?

Which alliance was formed in 1949 for mutual defense among Western nations?

• A. SEATO
• B. Warsaw Pact
• C. NATO
• D. ANZUS

Answer: (C)

After World War II, Western nations sought a formal security guarantee to deter Soviet expansion, so they created a defense alliance based on collective security. The alliance established in 1949 binds member nations to come to each other’s defense if one is attacked, making an assault on any one ally an attack on all. This principle of mutual defense helped shape Cold War security and integrated military planning across North America and Western Europe. Other options came later or involved different regions: SEATO formed in 1954 to address Southeast Asia, the Warsaw Pact emerged in 1955 as a Soviet-led Eastern Bloc counter, and ANZUS started in 1951 linking Australia, New Zealand, and the United States in the Pacific. NATO is the alliance formed in 1949 for mutual defense among Western nations.

After World War II, Western nations sought a formal security guarantee to deter Soviet expansion, so they created a defense alliance based on collective security. The alliance established in 1949 binds member nations to come to each other’s defense if one is attacked, making an assault on any one ally an attack on all. This principle of mutual defense helped shape Cold War security and integrated military planning across North America and Western Europe. Other options came later or involved different regions: SEATO formed in 1954 to address Southeast Asia, the Warsaw Pact emerged in 1955 as a Soviet-led Eastern Bloc counter, and ANZUS started in 1951 linking Australia, New Zealand, and the United States in the Pacific. NATO is the alliance formed in 1949 for mutual defense among Western nations.