ABSTRACT
In the aftermath of World War II, the administration of Harry S. Truman sought to avoid the mistakes made following World WTar I and prevent a return to isolationism in American foreign policy. One o f the most significant demonstrations o f the administration’s commitment to global engagement was the formation o f NATO, the nation’s first peacetime military alliance. NATO provided concrete American security guarantees for its Western European allies and verified the commitment of the United States to continued opposition to the Soviet Union both regionally and globally.
