Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

The smaller states in the alliances used the link to the superpowers for their own purposes. They got the promise of protection, weapons and economic aid against their local rivals, mostly regional neighbours with whom they had rivalries. The threatened to divide the entire world into two camps. This division happened first in Europe. Most countries of Western Europe sided with the US and those of Eastern Europe joined the Soviet camp. That is why, these were also called the ‘western’ and the ‘eastern’ alliances.
(i) Name one organization each related to the ‘western’ and the ‘eastern’ alliances.
(ii) Why were the smaller states interested in joining the super alliances?
(iii) How did the ‘alliance system’ threaten to divide the world ?

Solution

i) Organisation related to western alliances:- NATO
Organisation related to eastern alliances:- Warsaw Pact
ii) a) The smaller states in the alliances used the link to the superpowers to fulfil their own purposes.

b) They got the promise of protection, weapons, and economic aid against their local rivals, mostly regional neighbours with whom they had rivalries.
iii) Most countries of western Europe sided with the US and those of eastern Europe joined the Soviet camp. This tendency is an ample proof that the super powers threatened to divide the entire world into two camps.