South-East Asia Treaty Organization

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South-East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO). A US-led security pact designed to contain communism in south-east Asia to North Vietnam. Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Thailand were the other signatories of the founding treaty of Manila (September 1954). SEATO never developed a NATO-style integrated command structure, and the fight against communism was carried out by the USA (culminating in the Vietnam War disaster) rather than SEATO, which was officially disbanded in 1977.

Christopher N. Lanigan

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South-East Asia Treaty Organization

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    South-East Asia Treaty Organization