Origins of NATO
The origins of NATO lie in the betrayal by the Anglo-American imperialists of the agreements arrived at by the Allied Powers during the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences held in 1945, aimed primarily at denazifying, demilitarizing, democratizing and decentralizing Germany.
The peoples of the world had emerged from World War II as one humanity, marching to the drumbeat of peace, freedom and democracy. The number of people who joined the communist parties which were in the vanguard of the fight against Nazi-fascism and militarist Japan is a significant indication of the peoples' enthusiasm for opening a path for progress by achieving the liberation of their countries from colonial rule and establishing social systems which put the needs of the people, not the capitalists, at the centre of their concerns. In 1935 there were 81 communist parties in the world with 1,860,000 members, whereas after World War II there were 70 such parties with more than 30,000,000 members. The unprecedented growth of the communist parties of all countries which had stood in the forefront of the fight to defeat Nazi Germany, fascist Italy and militarist Japan, was in stark contrast to what happened to the armed forces of countries such as the USA, Canada and Poland, whose soldiers and equipment sat idle in Britain for several years until their military and political commanders deciphered which way the war was going.
In Europe, a continent with vast resources and a socialized economy, the most dramatic manifestations of popular resistance and the people's role in rejecting the models of the liberal European state institutions that had failed to solve the problem of fascism and anti-Semitism are little known today. However, the majority or near-majority results for the communists and their allies from the anti-fascist resistance in post-war elections held in Belgium, France, Italy, Hungary and Czechoslovakia from 1946 to 1948 speak to the existence of a revolutionary crisis for the Anglo-American powers, the European bourgeoisie and their social and economic system. When the city parliament of Berlin constituted in November 1946 held elections, the two workers' parties held a two-thirds majority.
Allusions to the French Revolution in 1789 were common and revolutionary symbolism became fashionable once more. Writing of the ferment in France, the English historian Rod Kedward says:
"The picture emerges of a period of euphoria when Resisters bridged the local vacuum of power with an assertive display of popular, patriotic ideals, setting up local committees to administer supplies, to organize recruitment for the army, and to relaunch their committees on a more equal, just and fraternal footing. There have been few occasions in French history since 1789 when the slogans of the Revolution have commanded such universal respect. For a month at least, before the weight of restructuring the economy and continuing the war began to sap people's optimism, there was a widespread belief that French society could be recast to give equal opportunities to everyone. It was an ideal to which resisters look back with pride. It was a period, say many, when very ordinary men and women were momentarily in charge of their own history."[1]
All of the developments at that time were of one humanity forged in the crucible of their common struggle and united front to defeat Nazi Germany, fascist Italy and militarist Japan. The theatre of war was not only Europe but also Asia and Africa. USians, Canadians and many from Latin America and the Caribbean joined the anti-fascist front in myriad ways including in partisan detachments in many countries, beginning with the International Brigades that fought to save the Spanish Republic in 1939. Huge sacrifices were made to achieve the anti-fascist victory.
Making sure imperialist aggression, war and fascism would never again plague humankind was the order of the day. NATO was created to block these aspirations. It has a nefarious history of anti-communism and counterrevolutionary clandestine activities to undermine the movements of the peoples for their own empowerment by serving the U.S. striving for world hegemony no matter what crimes are committed to achieve it. But the peoples of the world, then and now, continue to ensure the forward march of progress and the aim of humanity for societies fit for human existence.
On the occasion of the NATO Summit in Washington, DC which celebrates the 75th anniversary of NATO's founding, this TML Supplement carries articles on events related to the establishment of NATO.
This article was published in
Volume 54 Number 40 - July 8, 2024
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2024/Articles/MS54402.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca