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You’ve all heard of first-world problems like having to use milk instead of half-and-half in your coffee, being too cold in your house because of the air conditioner, or getting judged because you only have the iPhone X and not the 11. And I’m sure that you’ve heard of lower-income and developing countries referred to as third-world countries, but have you ever stopped to ask where those terms (first-world and third-world) came from and what happened to the second-world?
Tensions were running very high right after WW2. It was Western capitalism versus Soviet communism. But there was another group of countries. Many of them were former colonies. None of them were squarely in either the Western or the Soviet camp. Thinking of these three factions, French demographer Alfred Sauvy wrote of “Three worlds, one planet” in an article published in 1952.
The first-world consisted of the U.S., Western Europe and their allies. The second-world was the so-called Communist Bloc: the Soviet Union, China, Cuba and friends. The remaining nations, which aligned with neither group, were assigned to the third-world. This was just one of the many ways that capitalism and communism were pitted against one another in the staring contest that gripped the globe from 1945-1991.
You can trace the animosity between capitalism and communism much further back than the Cold War, but since their tenuous partnership to defeat Nazi Germany was over, suspicions were running high with neither side trusting the other. They each thought that the economic systems of their opponents were inconsistent and poisonous, and if left unchecked would spill into and corrupt the ideals that they held dear. Add to this stress the fact that the Americans has shown the world that they had the power to level cities with a single bomb and you can begin to see why the tensions were high.
Berlin Blockade
Many see the creation of the Deutschmark on June 20, 1948, as a new currency for West Germany to replace the Reichsmark as the first shot fired. The introduction of this new currency was intended to protect western Germany from a second wave of hyperinflation and to stop the rampant black market trade, where American cigarettes were being treated as currency. However, this move angered the Soviet authorities, who regarded it as a threat.
On June 24, 1948, Stalin turned this misunderstanding into the first serious international crisis of the Cold War by announcing a blockade of West Berlin. This was the group of three sections of Berlin controlled by the Western Allied powers. It was positioned about 100 miles into Soviet-controlled Eastern Germany. This was essentially a siege without the army at the gates.
After a matter of days, the United States began flying in supplies to the citizens of West Berlin. The blockade continued for nearly a year, but Truman was giving a clear signal that the United States had no intention of withdrawing from European affairs.
NATO
Even before the start of the blockade, European nations including Great Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg had discussed some sort of mutual security arrangement to resist possible future German aggression. However, in the wake of the Berlin blockade the Soviet Union seemed far more menacing than Germany, and they knew full well that even their combined armed forces would be no match for the military might of the Red Army, which at the time was the largest in the world.
They therefore sought some guarantee that the United States would intervene to defend them against a Soviet invasion, and the Truman administration provided this by signing on to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in April 1949. Truman then followed up on this in July by asking Congress for $1.45 billion in military aid for Western Europe. For the first time in its history, the United States had formally committed itself during peacetime to the defense of other nations.
In September 1949, Russia tested its own atomic bomb and made everyone nervous. Many thought that these two superpowers were destined to face off in a battle which, in this new atomic age, might mean death and destruction the likes of which no one had ever dreamed.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union (and the Warsaw Pact) in the 1990s, what was the purpose of NATO? Why is it still around today? Let me know your thoughts on this and on the tension between these two superpowers.
Remember, I want you to not only post a comment with some substance on each day (an opinion, something you found interesting, questions, ideas) but I also would like you to reply to at least one other comment for that day. Thank you!
The purpose of NATO was to forge an alliance between Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. The NATO pact stated that if anyone attacked a single country in NATO, then all of the countries would lend aid and come against the force that attacked that country. It was a pact that basically said, “We got your back.”
The Warsaw Pact was also a treaty that basically said: “if you attack one of us, you attack all of us”. But, when the Soviet Union dissolved, it dissolved, too.
Exactly. It’s a way of guaranteeing there won’t be another world war. If one nation attacks another, there won’t be a divide, as all the other nations will be on one side, depending on who attacked who and what reason they gave for it.
What was the purpose of NATO? Well, it was originally for protection against future German aggression. Then, the countries involved were concerned about Russia, who was becoming very menacing. I believe it was protection against future aggressors in general.
yea, I have to agree with selasi on this one. though at first it was for germany, it transitioned into protection from the soviet union.
Actually, it was against the Soviets first then against anyone considered by the member nations to be a baddie (Usually other communist nations.)
I agree. It seems as if NATO has become a long term alliance as means of extra protection.
I found it interesting that the Soviet Union’s blockade of West Berlin not only didn’t produce its desired effect, but accomplished the exact opposite. It kind of reminded me of how everyone rose to the occasion in London during the Blitz. With the help of outside countries, Germans had enough supplies , and in some cases more than enough, to survive the blockade. Candy was even dropped by planes (using handkerchiefs) for German children.
I had no idea of the history of first-world and third-world countries. I find it kinda crazy that one article can change the terms that the world uses for a long time. And I never realized that second world wasn’t a term used anymore, but I guess that makes sense since the soviet union was diminished.
yeah we havent heard much about first world and third world i always wondered if second world was a thing
I thought that it was really cool to learn how the different countries were run and such and how the USSR and the united sates and widely different.
I mean Russia not USSR
“Russia started testing its own atomic bomb which made everyone nervous” as it should.also 1.45 billion?? for military??? use that to feed homeless people or something thats an insane amount of money
Yes that is true but the military also needs funds to have supplies and stuff.
I have heard about the first, second and third world countries before but never really knew what countries were apart of what. I also have wondered for a long time why the second world isn’t talked about much but now it all makes sense.
When, why, and how did Germany regain Berlin and all the Soviet controlled territory become part of Germany again? Also, why did the French, US, Britain, and Russia want to divide Berlin? What was so appealing about Berlin that all the big nations wanted a piece? What about the rest of Germany?
I believe that NATO was an outstanding move for America. We were trying to prevent another world war by basicly getting on all of Europe’s countries good sides, which has worked because we have had no wars with Europe since
wow I never really knew why they called them 1st and 3rd world countries or what happened to 2nd world country thx
It was really nice for the Allied powers to help out Berlin in their state of need and shows that they cared.
Why doesn’t anyone ever talk about 2nd world. Also i feel that Stalin is super evil why do some people think Hitler was worse.
Because Hitler was defeated and we want to focus on our victories and talk about the evil that has been conquered rather than the evil that was left unchecked.
i didnt really know about 1st and 3rd world countries until now. I feel that NATO was a good thing for some people, but other people were worried about russia. But would Russia show future aggression on their own or would they form another allience?