Leiden University Student Repository

Berkum, Elise van (2018)

CENTO and SEATO: The failure of the two Cold War Alliances understood through Realism and Constructivism

Bachelor thesis | International Studies (BA)

CENTO and SEATO, two alliances involving the United States, were both founded in the early 1950s in order to prevent communist expansion. CENTO, consisting of Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom, existed to protect the Middle East. SENTO, consisting of the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, France, Pakistan, Thailand, and the Philippines, served the same purpose in Asia. Each country had their own reasons for joining, and many were disappointed in the effectiveness of the alliances and the profits they turned. Both CENTO and SEATO fell apart around 20 years before the end of the Cold War. The regional states of both alliances show multiple reasons for this dissolution that can be explained through realism and others through constructivism.

CENTO

SEATO

Cold War

alliances

realism

constructivism

Author

Berkum, Elise van

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

North America

Supervisors

Thakur, V.

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en