History of the USSR's accession to NATO

• History of the USSR's accession to NATO

On this page of the history of the USSR almost nobody knows. Textbooks tend not to focus on the strange fact: March 31, 1954 the Soviet Union decided to become part of NATO.

Stalin games

Stalin in 1952 probed the ground for the entry of the USSR into a block of Western countries. The fact that the English Parliament in 1949, considered the possibility of inviting the Soviet Union to the alliance: the proposal put forward the Communist Party of Great Britain. Then Andrei Vyshinsky, Minister of Foreign Affairs, sent an official note to London, where he proposed to discuss the Soviet Union's accession to the Organization for the defense of Western Union (NATO future). Followed by a sudden failure. It turned out that Europe is not very much wants to see in their ranks of the Russian bear.

Note Gromyko

The next attempt to join the North Atlantic Alliance was held already under Khrushchev. The project has developed Gromyko, the Soviet Union officially showed readiness to join NATO. Tricky party leaders any result would accept with pleasure: the refusal of Western countries would allow to start building its own paramilitary organization of collective security, the agreement also gave the Soviet Union a number of important advantages.

The Collective Security Treaty

In addition, the Soviet Union proposed a new treaty on collective security in Europe. The key point was the US agreement and Dwight Eisenhower gave it. But May 7, 1954 the United States joined France and Great Britain: Moscow's proposal was called "unrealistic and not worth discussing."

Power politics

It became clear that the United States would prefer to continue with the policy of force, relying on the European allies. By the USSR proposal seemed ideal: instead of increasing opposing military groupings in Europe, Moscow offered to create a unified system of collective security. However, to deceive the Europeans Khrushchev failed - an initiative of the Soviet Union another attempt to seize political power has been called.

But we still want to

Ukraine and Belarus (BSSR and USSR) also applied for membership in NATO alone. For a while this Republics gave sovereignty - Moscow is afraid of being isolated and was ready for any sacrifice.

Fighting for seats

Everything was done because the UN was transformed into an arena of struggle between Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union, though the latter were in the minority. Stalin even made a proposal for inclusion in the UN Soviet republics as the USSR could garner official support during the debate at the UN and to increase the number of votes.

in the CIS game

In 1944 all the republics of the Soviet Union received the sovereignty, at least, from the official point of view. NATO creaking accept the application only on the Byelorussian and Ukrainian SSR. March 31, 1954 to discuss three applications were received from the Soviet Union, Ukraine and Belarus, both from individual states. But the trick is not passed, and west again refused.

Evil Empire

Another attempt of rapprochement with the West have taken Yuri Andropov in 1983. She also failed: 1 September of the same year the Soviet Union (supposedly) shot down a South Korean "Boeing-747" - a number of very successful was the US Air Force. A few days later, Reagan announced to the world the Soviet Union an "evil empire." So ended the last attempt of the Soviet Union to become a member of NATO.