Warsaw Pact and NATO Overview

This GCSE history lesson explores the creation of the Warsaw Pact in response to NATO's expansion, particularly after West Germany joined NATO in 1955. The lesson discusses the strategic reasons behind the formation of the Warsaw Pact by the USSR under Khrushchev, highlighting its role in maintaining Soviet influence over Eastern European satellite states. The video also compares the member countries of NATO and the Warsaw Pact, emphasizing the Cold War context of these military alliances. The lesson concludes with a summary of key points and a preview of the next topic, the Hungarian Uprising.

What was the primary objective of this history lesson?

• To learn about the fall of the Berlin Wall

• To understand the reasons behind the creation of the Warsaw Pact

• To study the economic policies of the USSR

• To explore the causes of World War II

Which year was NATO established?

• 1955

• 1949

• 1939

• 1961

What was the main purpose of NATO when it was created?

• To establish a global trade network

• To promote economic cooperation

• To deter the USSR from attacking Western Europe

• To support cultural exchanges

Why did West Germany's membership in NATO in 1955 concern the USSR?

• It increased NATO's military strength

• It caused a trade embargo on Eastern Europe

• It led to economic sanctions against the USSR

• It resulted in the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact

What was the significance of the Austrian State Treaty in 1955?

• It removed Western presence from Hungary's border

• It led to the creation of NATO

• It established the European Union

• It initiated the Cold War

Who was the leader of the USSR when the Warsaw Pact was created?

• Joseph Stalin

• Leonid Brezhnev

• Nikita Khrushchev

• Mikhail Gorbachev

What was the initial purpose of the Warsaw Pact according to Khrushchev?

• To promote economic development

• To gain greater control over satellite states

• To create a new trade alliance

• To establish a cultural exchange program

Which countries were part of the Warsaw Pact?

• Norway, Iceland, Denmark

• France, Italy, Spain

• Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary

• USA, Canada, UK

How many member states did NATO have by the end of 1955?

• 20

• 15

• 10

• 8

What was a common feature of both NATO and the Warsaw Pact?

• Both were initiated by the USA

• Both focused on cultural exchanges

• Both were led by nuclear superpowers

• Both were economic alliances