CENTO was a Cold War alliance established in 1955 to counter Soviet influence in the Middle East. Which of the following is the correct name for this alliance?

CENTO was a Cold War alliance established in 1955 to counter Soviet influence in the Middle East. Which of the following is the correct name for this alliance?

• A. CENTO
• B. NATO
• C. Warsaw Pact
• D. SEATO

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is identifying the regional security bloc formed in the mid-1950s specifically to deter Soviet influence in the Middle East. That alliance is CENTO, which stands for the Central Treaty Organization. It was established in 1955 and is sometimes referred to by its earlier name, the Baghdad Pact, as it began with agreements among Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, and Turkey with backing from Britain. The other options point to different alliances: NATO is the Western defense alliance in Europe and North America, the Warsaw Pact was the Soviet-led counterpart in Eastern Europe, and SEATO aimed at Southeast Asia. So CENTO is the correct name for this Middle East security pact.

The key idea here is identifying the regional security bloc formed in the mid-1950s specifically to deter Soviet influence in the Middle East. That alliance is CENTO, which stands for the Central Treaty Organization. It was established in 1955 and is sometimes referred to by its earlier name, the Baghdad Pact, as it began with agreements among Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, and Turkey with backing from Britain. The other options point to different alliances: NATO is the Western defense alliance in Europe and North America, the Warsaw Pact was the Soviet-led counterpart in Eastern Europe, and SEATO aimed at Southeast Asia. So CENTO is the correct name for this Middle East security pact.