Answer two questions about European history Essay - 1

Answer two questions about European history - Essay Example NATO was meant to prevent the Soviet Aggression on the European continent, as clearly seen in its adoption of the massive retaliation military doctrine in the 1950s. Therefore, NATO was primarily created to in response to the Cold War crisis that was developing at that time. From a different perspective, the treaty was meant to suppress the Germans, deter the Russian aggression and keep the Americans in. To date, the core function of NATO is to ensure that autonomies and security of member states are protected using political and military measures (Gray, 2008). Politically, the alliance works to ensure promotion of values of democracy as well as encouraging consultation and cooperation on matters of security and defense in order to establish trust hence prevent disputes. In addition, the alliance provides an opportunity for the member states to carry out consultations and make decisions on security matters at all stages and in various fields. In case of failure of diplomatic efforts in conflict resolution, NATO can carry out military operations to manage that particular crisis. The future role of NATO should be focusing on its political approach for peace promotion and conflict resolution rather than the martial approach. In the wake of terrorist movements, there is need for the organization to work hard for promotion of democratic values around the world. Otherwise it may not have a role in security and promotion of democracy in this era of new wars. The European Union (EU) is the political and economic bolc of 28 European states whose members of parliament serve a five years term before seeking re-election (Hix & Hoyland , 2011). Politically, the EU has its citizens who take part in electing members of the union’s parliament every five years whereas on the economic side, the union has developed a single market for all