R1820thand21st

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (or NATO) was an effort to restrain conflict as it was at first created by the United States as an anti-Soviet military alliance of western, democratic governments, but was later used to prevent, intervene or resolve a conflict between countries after the Cold War. Though some countries did not desire help from the U.S., such as France, when Charles De Gaulle viewed the United States as a threat and thereby withdrew France from any NATO related alliance, left the common market, and even developed France’s own nuclear weapons. Yet others sought the safety of NATO after the Cold War, especially Eastern European countries, for safety and help for their weak economies. NATO also helped to resolve conflicts, such as the Gulf War and the civil war between the Bosnian Serbs and the Muslims, who were fighting for total control over Bosnia. Had not NATO intervened, the Serbs would have overpowered the Muslims, creating an all-Serbian control over Bosnia. (995, 997, 1046 – 1047, 1049 – 1050)

McKay, John P. __A History of Western Society__. 7th ed. New York City: Houghton Mifflin, 2003.