![\"nato](\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/07\/1024px-flag_of_nato.svg_-600x450.png\")
after world war ii, europe lay in shambles, its infrastructure and economies ruined. meanwhile, the u.s.s.r began to expand its power and influence across eastern europe. a soviet coup in and the soviet blockade against west berlin contributed to america\u2019s concerns that europe wasn’t strong enough to stave off the spread of communism, and the truman administration sought a way to create an alliance of nations to meet the soviet threat.<\/p>\n
in europe, great britain, france, belgium, the netherlands, and luxembourg had entered into a treaty of collective military defense called the brussels treaty. in america, the truman administration worked to convince a republican congress that a treaty with western europe was necessary. a resolution was passed to form an alliance with europe and negotiations soon began with those interested countries. on april 4, 1949, the treaty was signed by belgium, denmark, france, iceland, italy, luxembourg, the netherlands, norway, portugal, and the united kingdom in europe; and by the united states and canada in north america. the treaty formed an alliance of mutual defense, with the guiding philosophy that an attack on any one of these nations was an attack on all.<\/p>\n