O Warsaw Pact, also known as the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was an agreement signed, on May 14, 1955, between the Soviet Union and its satellite countries. Its name comes from the place where the pact was signed: Warsaw, capital of Poland.
This agreement was a reaction of the Soviet Union to the creation of theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a US-led military agreement. These two military alliances were one of the main features of the Cold War. The Warsaw Pact lasted until 1991, when the Soviet Union was dissolved, while NATO is still active today.
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Context and creation of the Warsaw Pact
historical background
Right after the end of the Second World War, in 1945, two superpowers emerged: the Soviet Union and the United States. Both split the world in half, looking for zones of influence. The socialist countries were under Soviet rule, and the capitalists were led by the Americans.
The first target of this dispute came in 1947, when economic plans to help financially Europe to rise again after the end of the war. Both the United States and the Soviet Union invested in this reconstruction to mark their position on the European continent and ward off their enemy.
With that, the OldWorld was divided into Western Europe — aligned with the capitalism and receiving financial aid through the Marshall Plan — and in Eastern Europe, which aligned with the socialism and had its reconstruction financed by the Soviet Union through the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (Comecon).
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A bipolar world, divided by zones of influence led by U.S and Soviet Union. It was the beginning of Cold War. The two superpowers did not enter into a direct conflict, but their political, economic, cultural, spatial and military rivals for decades, each trying to outrun the enemy to maintain as many zones as possible. influence.
In addition to rebuilding Europe, Americans and Soviets sought to intervene in decolonizationfrom Asia and Africa. The former European colonies won their independence and had no alternative but to adhere to the two ideologies that were fighting at that time. If the United States and the Soviet Union did not enter into a direct confrontation, the same did not happen with the countries that joined one of the superpowers. It was like that in Korean War (North Korea, socialist, against South Korea, capitalist) and in Vietnam War (North Vietnam, socialist, versus South Vietnam, capitalist).
Although there is no armed conflict between the superpowers, both they tried to arm themselves in case there was a new war. But the confrontation would not be carried out with the weapons used in World War II, but with atomic weapons, which would have destructive effects far greater than those used in the war. Therefore, to avoid this confrontation, the United States and the Soviet Union made military agreements with their allies to maintain their hegemony over conquered zones of influence and avoid attacks enemies.
Like the two superpowers armed themselves with nuclear bombs, it was necessary to create a peaceful coexistence in which Americans and Soviets would avoid wars with weapons that would have the strength to destroy the world. Despite this, the two countries did not stop investing in armaments and militarily protecting their allies.
Read too: What was the Missile Crisis?
Creation of the Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was a military alliance between the Soviet Union and its satellite countries to reinforce the Soviet presence in Eastern Europe. It was a reaction to the United States having created the Otan, which was also a military agreement, but for the defense of countries aligned with the North Americans. Through the Warsaw Pact, the Soviets could impose its military force on socialist countries from Eastern Europe and suppress any protest against orders coming from Moscow, capital of the Soviet empire.
The best-known example of this pact in action took place in Prague, the capital of Czechoslovakia, in 1968. The local government intended to carry out reforms by modifying the Soviet structure imposed there. Prime Minister Alexander Dubcek wanted, with these reforms, to make a “socialism with a human face”. He intended to end censorship and allow the free expression of ideas. However, the desire for reform was soon dampened by Soviet troops who invaded Czechoslovakia, forcing Dubcek to resign.
Objectives of the Warsaw Pact
The objectives of the Warsaw Pact were:
- the maintenance of the Soviet military presence in its satellite countries;
- establish mutual cooperation among its members; and
- counterattack if there was an attack coming from a NATO country against any member of the pact.
These objectives show that, despite the fact that the Cold War did not include an armed conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, this did not prevent the two superpowers from investing heavily in military agreements and positioning their troops on the continent. European.
Main features of the Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was very similar to NATO. With regard to your organization, was formed by military and political commissions whose members were heads of the Armed Forces and of the commands of the larger States of the member countries. The main concern of the Warsaw Pact was to militarily organize the Eastern European socialist bloc and prevent any NATO attacks on the continent.
In its statute, the Warsaw Pact called for preventive mobilization in case of attack, military reaction if one of the members of the pact were attacked and establishment of a common agenda of national effort. The Soviet military alliance foresaw the military advance of the socialist superpower over Eastern Europe and the maintaining the internal order of its member countries, in addition to preventing and intimidating any military attack coming from the Western.
Warsaw Pact Countries
The countries that integrated the Warsaw Pact were:
- Soviet Union,
- Poland,
- Albania,
- Oriental Germany,
- Bulgaria,
- Czechoslovakia,
- Romania,
- Hungary.
China, North Korea, Egypt and India they were not part of the pact, but were invited to be observer countries.
End of the Warsaw Pact
The weakening of the Warsaw Pact coincided with the end of the Soviet Union. Since the mid-1980s, Moscow no longer had the money to invest in armaments and maintain cooperation between the countries that were part of the pact. With the end of the Soviet Union in 1991, the pact that, since 1955, had sought to prevent the advance of NATO into Europe and militarily strengthen the Soviets in their satellite countries, also ended.
Differences between the Warsaw Pact and NATO
NATO was created in 1949 as a military agreement between the countries of North America and Western Europe. This agreement was based on mutual military assistance. If any of its members were attacked, the others should react against the attack. The Soviets did not welcome the creation of this organization, as it could interfere with the Soviet advance into Europe. However, the Soviet Union's reaction only came when West Germany joined NATO. This caused a treaty to be signed immediately between countries under the influence zone of the USSR, in 1955, in the city of Warsaw (Poland), initiating the Soviet version of the military agreement of the Western.
NATO exists to this day, while the Warsaw Pact was extinguished in 1991, along with the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Warsaw Pact Summary
- The Warsaw Pact was a military agreement signed in 1955 intended to reinforce the military presence of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe and to prevent any attack by NATO countries against their members.
- The purpose of this pact was to counterattack if any member suffered internal military intervention and to guarantee mutual cooperation between its members.
- The pact was only created shortly after West Germany joined NATO, which meant a Western threat to Soviet power in Eastern Europe.
- The members were: Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania.
- The end of the Warsaw Pact came in 1991, shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
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solved exercises
Question 1 - During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union divided the world in two and competed with each other for zones of influence. Although there was no direct confrontation between the two superpowers, both did not stop investing in weapons if there was, in fact, an armed conflict. Tick the alternative below which correctly shows two military deals made by the superpowers and their allies.
A) CIA and FBI.
B) Warsaw Pact and Marshall Plan.
C) NATO and the Warsaw Pact.
D) NATO and the Marshall Plan.
Resolution
Alternative C. NATO was a military agreement made by the United States that involved the countries of North America and Western Europe to defend against external attacks. The Soviet Union created the Warsaw Pact in 1955, shortly after West Germany joined NATO. The Soviets realized the military advance of the Western agreement and decided to create a pact between the Soviet Union and its socialist countries in Eastern Europe, to react to a possible military attack from NATO against one of their members.
Question 2 - In addition to military cooperation among its members, the Warsaw Pact was triggered in 1968 to end a political movement aimed at reforming Czechoslovakia. This movement was known as:
A) Spring in Prague.
B) Cuban Revolution.
C) Warsaw Ghetto.
D) Political Police.
Resolution
Alternative A. THE prague spring, which took place in 1968, happened when the premier of Czechoslovakia, Alexander Dubcek, intended to carry out reforms in his country that would guarantee freedom of expression and more space for the debate of ideas. The Warsaw Pact was triggered and defeated the movement, forcing Dubcek's resignation.
By Carlos César Higa
History teacher
