The consequences of the Second World War have changed the landscape of the European continent to an extent that is still visible today. The defeat of Nazi Germany resulted in a division of the European area between four allied factions, which consequently led to the bloc division of the world - into the Communist East and the Democratic West. The Marshall Plan and the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO) brought stability and rapid economic development to the Western European countries, triggering a counter reaction in the Eastern Bloc with the establishment of the Warsaw Pact. This geostrategic situation, despite the initial distrust towards the Federal Republic of Germany, led to the establishment of a common market for coal and steel, which later proved to be very successful. Further integration was aimed towards economic cooperation and expansion of the original six member states. The Cold War between the two blocs calmed down somewhat by the end of the 1960s and later multilateral co-operation agreements were signed with Warsaw and Moscow. The exacerbation of the situation followed in the early 1980s, when the arms and power race reopened, eventually leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union. This volatile time was used by the European communities to attract new members and to pursue even closer integration. Gorbachev allowed the nations of the Eastern bloc to decide on their own fate, which led to the democratization and unification of the two Germanies.
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