Russia vs. NATO: The New Cold War? | Animated History

hi I'm Griffin Johnson the armchair historian following the second world war new players emerged on the global stage the United States and Soviet Union attracted a collection of allies and subjects in their bid to control the destiny of Europe the North Atlantic Trade Organization or NATO was led by the United States and the Warsaw Pact was led by the Soviet Union ultimately however the Soviet Union and their Warsaw Pact collapsed but the modern day Russian Federation continues to air grievances with nato in this episode we will examine the ongoing conflict between Russia and NATO the seeds for Russia's conflict with NATO were planted in the aftermath of the second world war but thanks to the sponsor of today's video Call of War you have the chance to change the course of history call of war is a free online PVP strategy game that lets you choose a real country and lead them to victory in the second world war declare war on your neighbors Forge alliances and engage in huge weeks-long 100 player matches on both PC and mobile devices using a huge array of units and weapons I especially enjoy the flexibility to develop and execute a variety of different long-term strategies to ensure complete and total Victory support our Channel and click the link in the description within the next 30 days to receive 13 000 gold in one month of Premium subscription for free don't forget to like And subscribe if you enjoyed today's episode 1990 set the stage for the conflict between the Russian Federation and NATO January would see talks between the U.S West German and Soviet governments on how potential German reunification could work the reunion was considered inevitable on both sides of the Iron Curtain but the Soviets considered East Germany the very heart of their Warsaw Pact the Soviet foreign minister declared if East Germany ceases to exist Soviet troops will be pulled out of Hungary and Czechoslovakia Poland will also not want them what purpose then would the Warsaw Pact have U.S Secretary of State James Baker and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev would have a fateful discussion with Baker insisting that reunification of Germany would cause no extension of NATO forces into Eastern Europe Gorbachev in return asserted that NATO expansion would not be accepted by the Soviet Union the two agreed to put forward the treaty on the final settlement with respect to Germany or two plus four agreement West and East Germany being the two and the U.S UK France and the USSR being the four this treaty laid the groundwork for the peaceful reunification of Germany and the withdrawal of all occupying troops from both NATO and the Warsaw Pact and it is here that history turns Gorbachev says that he left this meeting assured of no further NATO expansion in fact to the premiere it was not even an issue the topic of NATO expansion was not discussed at all in those years not even after the Warsaw Pact ceased to exist in 1991. Baker for his part insists that his talks with Gorbachev applied solely to East Germany and he never ruled out NATO expansion in the slightest nevertheless Gorbachev and many officials from both the former USSR and current Russian Federation view Gorbachev's talks with Baker as something of a promise and even future CIA director Robert Gates opined that the Soviets had been led to believe NATO would not accept Eastern European members the collapse of the USSR in 1991 would turn the situation on its head as the new Russian Federation grappled with internal strife and The Growing Pains of trying to transition from a single party rule to democracy the former nations of the Warsaw Pact ID the possibility of joining NATO Russia would attempt to preempt this by forming the United Armed Forces later called the collective security Treaty Organization in 1992 a collective defense compact in NATO's spirit this initial group consisted of Russia Armenia Belarus Kazakhstan Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan despite these csto the possibility of former Soviet States joining NATO was still on the table perhaps even Russia would be brought into their former enemies fold for their part NATO leaders were willing to admit new members only if they could contribute to the Block's goal of collective security this disqualified Russia outright as the newly birthed Nation contended with military and intelligence communities squarely out of state control a constitutional crisis in 1993 as Boris Yeltsin began consolidating power and Terror and counter-terror in chechnya all problems that made Russia untrustworthy in NATO eyes America's two-track policy expanded NATO into Eastern Europe while simultaneously and separately working with Russia the U.S and Russia would embark on a series of high-level talks culminating in Russia participating in the partnership for peace initiative a NATO program that allowed the young country to observe NATO militaries and learn best practices for keeping one's Army under control of a democratic government as a partner for peace Russian forces would go on to serve alongside nato peacekeepers in Bosnia and Serbia but Russian action in Serbia did not come from a true Alliance Russia had long held Serbia as a friend and Ally and viewed NATO intervention in the Balkan Wars overall as flouting International order the Russian public began to hold NATO up as an international Force asserting itself to Russia's detriment and recast Gorbachev as a passive leader who did not so much give the West an inch but rather handed over a mile in 1997 the Russia NATO founding Act was signed by both sides giving Russia Observer status in NATO but no power to veto The Taking of collective military action or admission of new States despite Gorbachev's Recollections and the beliefs of Russian officials NATO would expand into the post-soviet world some former warsaw-packed countries were aggressive in lobbying for NATO membership with Poland in particular knocking on NATO's door not long after breaking up with Russia Poland would get its way in 1999 being welcomed into NATO alongside the Czech Republic and Hungary an even larger expansion in 2004 would include Slovakia Slovenia Bulgaria and Romania but most importantly all three Baltic states Estonia Latvia and Lithuania it is this last admission that was the most infuriating to Russia historically the Baltic states had been Russian protectorates and later annexed by these Soviets Continental Europe had never accepted this state of affairs and the three Baltic states had made plain their wish to purge Russian influence as quickly as possible their admission into NATO brought competing military interests right to Russia's front door and Russia threatened their former vassals with economic retaliation and statements that they're putting Russian military equipment into NATO hands undermined International Security agreements Russia's words only drove the Baltic states further into NATO's camp with the Latvian foreign minister saying that his country's push to join was specifically meant as a safeguard against Russia as the former Warsaw paced Nations established themselves as independent States leaders sympathetic to Russia found themselves swept out of office by revolutionary groups such as the 2003 Rose revolution in Georgia or Ukraine's 2004 orange Revolution this New Nationalism would bring NATO and Russia to a flash point in 2008 with Kosovo declaring independence from close Russian Ally Serbia the U.S UK France and most NATO countries rushed to recognize kosovar Independence while Russia China and a minority of NATO members refused Russia warned against welcoming Kosovo onto the international stage declaring that doing so violated Serbia's territorial integrity under U.N law and would create a dangerous domino effect this domino effect would be on full display that same year during the Russian Georgian war from 2003 to 2008 the U.S invested Millions into the young country of Georgia training and Advising its military and endorsing future NATO membership for Georgia and Ukraine Georgia needed U.S Aid as they had long dealt with russian-backed separatists in the region of South Oceania separatists who in August 2008 shelled villages in violation of a ceasefire act taking American statements on NATO membership as a de facto military Alliance Georgia sent troops to stop the separatists and provoked a full-scale Invasion by Russia who declared Georgia's movement attempted genocide of the South ossetian people after five days of conflict a French broken piece would see the South Oceania and another region abkasia recognized as independent by Russia Russia cited kosovo's Independence as justification for South ossetian Independence yet the region is only recognized by a handful of countries Georgia would not be the only former Soviet state to see conflict over Russian influence in the 2000s Ukraine would be plunged into internal chaos following the Ukrainian government's sudden reversal of a long-awaited partnership with the European Union in 2013. president Victor Yanukovych announced he would pursue closer ties to Russia leading to widespread protests and counter-protests by pro-russian parties in Russia's eyes this outpouring of pro-eu sentiment was the worst possible scenario anti-russian regime change combined with a Groundswell in favor of the European Union and NATO from a nation that was traditionally in their sphere of influence of particular concern was the fate of sevastopol a poor on the Crimean Peninsula that had long been a key strategic location Crimea would prove a Latter-Day South osisia as in response to the protests against yanukovych's U-turn a combination of pro-russian militias and Russian ground forces would occupy Crimea in early 2014. February would find the Russians seizing key government posts including the Crimean Parliament and in March a referendum was held to decide whether Crimea would remain in Ukraine or voluntarily be annexed by Russia the results came back 95 in favor with Putin applauding the success of Eastern European popular will even as the International Community decried that the vote was rigged Russia's cooperation with NATO as a welcome but powerless Outsider ended in the ballot boxes of Crimea as meaningful communication was terminated in protest of the annexation an undaunted Putin suggested that other areas of eastern Ukraine which were home to ethnic Russian majorities or enclaves would be welcome to join the Russian Federation meanwhile NATO forces masked in the newer member states a clear warning to Russia who responded by massing troops in Crimea April 2014 would see pro-russian forces accept Putin's invitation launching coups against the Ukrainian government in the Border regions of Donetsk and luhansk this donbass war continues at the time of writing having been absorbed into the larger conflict that broke out between Russia and Ukraine tension between Russia and NATO would continue to build as the 2010s wore on with turkey Downing a Russian fighter jet that allegedly violated their airspace though this incident was successfully smoothed over Russia bristled at the admission of Montenegro to Nato at the end of 2015 even as opposition lawmakers declared their support of Putin's regime to the point of trying to stop their own country's joining thank you as the 2010s became the 2020s NATO troops and Russian forces continued to mass and move posturing and staring each other down in a parallel to the most tense days of the Cold War Russian troops on the border with Ukraine were singled out with concern but Russia claims they were performing exercises these exercises occurred against the backdrop of intense Strife between NATO and Russia who continued to loudly decry NATO expansion and demanded that Ukraine who had begun to be seen as the next potential NATO recruit never be admitted to join the military Bloc to the point of demanding a legal agreement barring Ukraine from ever joining and a contract ending all future admission of Eastern European nations NATO Secretary General Yen stoltenberg was succinct in his response Russia has no voice in NATO's Affairs as if to prevent Ukraine joining NATO by any means Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022. the war continues to the time of production with Ukraine proving resilient Beyond any International expectation NATO troops have been further concentrated in the areas around Russia with Finland Sweden and Ukraine all applying for NATO membership in the immediate aftermath of the invasion Russia has stated that Finland and Sweden are free to join NATO but per Putin the expansion of military infrastructure in this region will certainly cause our response at the time of writing Finland has become NATO's newest member while Sweden's application has stalled due to political pressures unrelated to Russia Ukraine remains a focus of international sympathy and support but not a NATO member yet the Cold War left Europe polarized between the United States and Russia bereft of its network of buffer States the Russian Federation sought to manage the admission of former Soviet republics to Nato lest it be surrounded by potentially hostile Neighbors in service to its rival how this long conflict between Russia and the rest of Europe will end is a matter for another episode long or perhaps not so long in the future thanks again to our sponsor call of War enjoy rewriting history in this free online PVP strategy game by signing up using our Link in the description within the next 30 days and receive 13 000 gold and one month of Premium subscription for free

Channel: The Armchair Historian

Views: 516,277

Keywords: military history, war, battle, the second world war, historical

Id: zcViPjTgCUM

Length: 15min 29sec (929 seconds)

Published: Sat May 20 2023