Due to Soviet propaganda, normal people are convinced that the creation of NATO was an american idea. In fact, it’s false. The Treaty between France and the United Kingdom in 1947 and its generalization with the next one in 1948 was in reality a European initiative. Just after the end of the WWII, Europe was almost dead and it was also clear that its savior was the US even for the UK which had resisted until the end to the Nazi attacks but also to the Soviet threats. Only Europe wanted a structure to protect itself from armed attack. Its initial idea was to contribute toward the further development of peaceful and international relations  by strengthening its free institutions. And at the beginning Europe proposed that any armed attack against one or more of its states, should be considered as an attack against them all and that America should help. So the problem was its protection. And the US accepted this proposition after a slightly different redaction. But it’s clear that the NATO for the European spirit was a shield against the attacks of the different barbarities, black or red , it didn’t matter, the only thing which was important was the merciless love of the US.