United Nations:
· An international peacekeeping organization, the United Nations (UN), came into existence in 1945 with 51 original members.
· Member nations are a part of the General Assembly.
· Any member of the Security Council can veto the actions of the General Assembly.
· The Security Council has 15 members-- five permanent members and 10 elected
by the General Assembly for two-year terms. The permanent members are:
- United States
- Russia
- France
- Great Britain
- China
Opposing Alliances:
· In 1949, the U.S. formed an alliance with friendly European countries called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
· The members of NATO would defend each other against any Soviet aggression.
· In 1955, the Soviet Union formed its own military alliance called the Warsaw Pact.
· The Warsaw Pact was made up of Eastern European countries dominated by Soviet control.
Emerging Nations:
· After World War II the people of Africa and Asia began to demand their independence.
