International Post-War Order

The United Nations was formed in 1948. It was composed of representatives of all the different countries of the world. It was designed to provide a way to settle disputes without wars, and to promote economic development not only in Europe but around the world.

However, the crucial bodies of the postwar order in Europe were the Western and Eastern Blocs.

The Western Bloc

After the war, the alliance of victorious Western powers (United States, Canada, Britain, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands) remained intact. They feared that the Soviet Union would become the next aggressive power in Europe. Along with West Germany and several smaller nations, they signed a treaty of mutual defense. This treaty created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This was the first time in history that the United States had signed a treaty pledging to defend a European country from attack. The United States was now more firmly tied to Europe than it had ever been before. The philosophy of isolationism (keeping America out of foreign conflicts) which had been so popular before World War II was now thoroughly discredited.