SEATO

SEATO, or the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, was a defense alliance formed in 1954 to prevent the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. Its member countries—primarily the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Thailand, and the Philippines—agreed to cooperate on military and security matters. SEATO aimed to protect the region from communist influence during the Cold War. It functioned as a collective defense pact, meaning if one member was attacked, others would consider it an attack on all. SEATO dissolved in 1977 due to shifting political dynamics and changing regional priorities.