Impact on relations

• The USA committed itself to supporting other countries (in Asia), to aid resistance to communism

  • Strengthened land forces in Europe
  • Encouraged Greece and Turkey to join Nato

  It also tripled its defence budget
• September 1954: USA, Britain, France, New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand and Pakistan joined together in the Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO)

  • Role was to stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia
• The Soviet Union strengthened its armed forces

  • 1950: 2.8 million red army soldiers
  • 1955: 5.6 million red army soldiers
• West Germany joined NATO in 1955 and the Soviet Union responded by bringing together 8 communist countries in the Warsaw pact

  • This increased distrust and suspicion between the two sides

  Arms race sped up as the USA and the Soviet Union tried to gain military supremacy over eachother