Did the cold war have a positive or negative effect on Europe?

Pick a side or pick both and describe in detail of the effects on Europe of the Cold War. Thanks.|||I would say positive. The threat of the Warsaw Pact more or less forced the democratic nations in Europe to come together. Through NATO and the EEC, a close alliance was formed and today there is the European Union. Most of the nations that broke free of communism in the 90s joined NATO and/or the EU and due to the threat Russia presents have also become closer.|||The Cold War definitely had a positive effect, not only on Europe, but on the world in its entirity. After all, Global Warming has allegedly been a trend for some time now. This being the case, with the Cold War to lower global temperatures, imagine how hot it would be NOW if we didn't have a few decades of a War of Coldness.|||Your teacher wants YOU to pick a side.