Example research essay topic: North Atlantic Treaty Nuclear Arms - 1,136 words

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As the second World War was coming to an end, the representatives of some fifty nations met in San Francisco to sign the United Nations Charter in an attempt to unify many countries. The date was June 26 1946, and the countries that signed the charter did so to put themselves in a better position if any conflict were to arise in the future. During the time the charter was drawn and the treaty was signed, April 4 1949, ten countries who had signed the charter were in need of more protection that would require a stronger means of defense. The United States and Canada were to write the pledge of mutual security, that each country was to uphold if they wished to be a part of the alliance. The European countries by 1949 were all at a great disadvantage, since the defeat of Japan and Germany occurred there would be an opening for the Soviet Union to have its influential ways on imposing communism throughout Europe.

The Soviet Union began to add on to its empire during World War two because they knew that the small countries which included: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Rumania, North-East Germany, and parts of Finland. All these countries combined contained an estimated 23 million people. This was only the beginning of the expansion according to the Soviets at the time, they planned to impose communism on as much of Europe as they could. They were all for the expansion of communism on a world wide level, with Russia at the core.

The Soviets were doing the best to gain control of Eastern Europe because they knew if they controlled a large portion of it they would have immense power. The North Atlantic Treaty would enable countries to protect themselves against any threat through utilizing the powers of many countries. To better understand the alliance of the many countries a closer look must be taken at the treaty itself. The treaty was more than a military alliance, what it also did to the relations between the many members was to open up closed doors in economic, political, and social fields that would allow all of the countries to grow as a unit. The counties main two goals were to promote the well-being in the North Atlantic area, and to encourage economic growth within their own country. Thus the treaty provided for the internal growth of many counties while allowing the growth of all of the members as a whole.

The treaty was composed of a preamble, which outlines the treaty's main features, and fourteen articles that provided the backing for what the treaty was to impose. The first article i beleive is the most basic, but it provides the ground work for the other articles. It states that the countries that are a part of NATO will do their best to copy with the rules set forth by the treaty, also it demands that the members avoid endangering the peace and tranquility of other countries around the world. As I read through the articles i realized that in a way the first article was repeated, included, or referred back to in some way. The other article that I believe has great importance is the fifth article, which says, "The parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all... ." This one phrase ensures that a country can not be attacked by another without serious repercussions. Each country that is a member of NATO is free, which means that any action taken in retaliation is up to the discretion of the country itself.

Under article 51 of the United Nations Charter the framework is provided for article five of the North Atlantic Treaty, making it clear that any actions taken will be ceased upon review by the Security Council. The treaty was a little more intricate, but what it basically did was to provide a council of representatives that could intervene and assist any member of the alliance in need of assistance. For example if Canada was under attack by means of nuclear arms, which Russia was about to fire, the other members of NATO would be obliged to take some action to come to their defense. The development of the alliance countries can be broken down in to three main phases. The first phase was from 1949 to 1955, this was th period where the machinery and other means of upholding the commitments made after the end of the war.

Many countries had to be rebuilt because the war had torn apart their homeland, and as members of NATO they would work together to give aide. Also the twelve original signatories of the treaty were to be joined by Greece, Turkey, and The Federal Republic of Germany. I would consider this a growing period for NATO, they were putting together the infrastructure that would provide the stability that all of its members expected. The second phase was from 1955 to 1964, which had a great deal to do with the Soviet threat that was ominous to many other countries. The negotiations between the USSR and the West were basically cut off in 1949, occasionally there were meetings, but nothing substantial. The Soviets were expanding its supply of weaponry, and part of their armament was nuclear war-heads, which were feared by the entire world.

This meant that the countries must all work in conjunction if they wished to expand on the peace between all nations. The third phase was from 1965 to 1968, many scientific agreements were made by all members of NATO's members, and the USSR became somewhat involved. The alliance countries used this time to develop their defense planning, which had a great deal to do with nuclear arms as a means of defense. NATO was allowing itself to grow as a unit rather than just one or two countries prospering, but was NATO really capable of if they were called on. NATO developed a strategy that proved simple yet effective, if the enemy was kept at a distance more time would be available to plan an offensive attack. NATO began to set up integrated commands all over the world in 1951 in order to make sure that troops would be close to any confrontation that was to arise.

Troops would have to be trained and equipped to protect against any enemy attack on a territory of NATO. NATO began to acknowledge the fact that a nuclear strike from Russia was an option to them, which may not be able to be deterred. This put a damper on keeping the enemy at a distance, but NATO was planning ahead so that they knew what precautions to take under any circumstances. In 1957 the Russ...

Research essay sample on North Atlantic Treaty Nuclear Arms