A major Cold War alliance formed by the United States, Canada, and Western European nations to defend each other is called which organization?

• A. Warsaw Pact
• B. NATO
• C. SEATO
• D. CENTO

Answer: (B)

This question centers on collective defense during the Cold War—the idea that allied nations pledge to defend one another when attacked. The alliance formed by the United States, Canada, and Western European nations to defend each other is NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO was established in 1949 to deter Soviet influence and coordinate Western military response, based on a mutual defense principle where an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all. The other options represent different regional alliances: the Warsaw Pact was the Soviet-led Eastern Bloc counterpart; SEATO was aimed at Southeast Asia; CENTO linked Middle Eastern and Central Asian states. None of these matches the Western alliance formed by the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe for mutual defense, so NATO is the correct fit.