apr 4, 1949 - Foundation of NATO

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NATO was founded to ensure the protection and cooperation of a Europe that was unstable following the destruction of WWII. The organization served as a logical conclusion of the ideas behind the Marshall Plan in the United States' attempt to exert power in regions closer to their rival, the USSR. NATO ensured that member nations would mutually support the others in their military struggles--especially with the outbreak of the Korean War. Another key factor of the formation of NATO was the fact that it would allow the US to use Europe as real estate for their nuclear missiles in case the COld War got especially hot.

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