The Warsaw Pact or Warsaw Treaty was a military alliance of the Eastern Bloc countries led by the Soviet Union. It was founded on the basis of the Warsaw Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in 1955. With the founding of the Warsaw Pact, the world, and above all Europe, was finally divided into western and eastern blocs. In this article we explain the background to the founding of the Warsaw Pact, how it worked and how it finally collapsed.
This article belongs to the subject History and expands on the topic of the post-war period.
The most important background to the Warsaw Pact
After the end of the Second World War, there were increasing conflicts between the allied superpowers of the USA and the Soviet Union. These conflicts were particularly noticeable in occupied Germany. Here the opposing ideologies met directly. While federal democracy and the social market economy were being implemented in the western zones of occupation, an authoritarian government was formed in the Soviet zone of occupation that wanted to introduce a planned economy. Finally, in 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany and the GDR were formed.
The Soviet Union also had a major influence in other Eastern European countries such as Poland or Hungary, which the Soviet army invaded during World War II. People’s republics were formed there, which functioned on the Soviet model. Two spheres of influence developed in Europe. While the Western countries cooperated financially with the USA, the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance with the Eastern European countries was established under the leadership of the Soviet Union.
Foundation of NATO and the WEU
But it should not stop with financial alliances. As early as 1949, Great Britain, France and the Benelux countries signed the Brussels Treaty, which also included a common defense policy. In the West, the growth of the Soviet Union and the formation of satellite states were seen as a massive threat. Therefore, in April 1949, NATO was formed. On October 23, 1954, the Federal Republic of Germany finally signed the Paris Agreements, which ended the occupation of West Germany and founded the Western European Union (WEU for short). It was a military assistance pact. The Federal Republic should also be armed again after demilitarization and join NATO.
Warsaw Pact – Founding
In response, the Soviet Union and other Eastern European countries issued the Moscow Declaration. In this they warned against signing the Paris Agreement. They also announced their intention to set up their own military alliance. After the Paris Treaties were signed, the Eastern European countries and the Soviet Union made their own military pact, the Warsaw Pact, in Warsaw. This officially came into force on June 4, 1955.
The Warsaw Pact was then an important means for the Soviet Union to retain control of the Eastern Bloc countries. It said that the Soviet Army would be stationed in all of these countries. In addition, the Soviet Union also had the supreme command of the combined armed forces of the countries. In this way they were able, above all through military pressure, to secure the rule of the Communist Party in the respective country. The rearmament of the GDR was also set in motion by the Warsaw Pact. The member states of the Warsaw Pact were: the Soviet Union, the People’s Republics of Hungary, Romania and Poland, the GDR, Bulgaria and Albania. However, Albania withdrew in 1968.
Warsaw Pact – Extra Fact
The Warsaw Pact treaty is very similar to the North Atlantic Treaty which led to the creation of NATO. There are differences in the contract when it comes to economic cooperation. For NATO members, this is also regulated in the North Atlantic Treaty, while the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance was responsible for the Warsaw Pact countries.
Warsaw Pact – dissolution
During the existence of the Warsaw Pact, the allied troops were repeatedly used to violently crush popular movements for freedom in the countries. After the Soviet government finally lifted the Iron Curtain and also approved the reunification of Germany, the other member states of the Warsaw Pact also began to push for a withdrawal of the Soviet army in their countries and a dissolution of the military alliance. The Warsaw Pact was finally dissolved on July 1, 1991.
The most important facts about the Warsaw Pact at a glance!
- The Warsaw Pact was a Soviet-led military alliance between Eastern European countries.
- It was founded on the initiative of the Soviet Union in 1955 in response to the founding of the Western European Union, the rearmament of the Federal Republic of Germany and its impending accession to NATO.
- During the time of the Warsaw Pact, this was particularly useful for the Soviet Union to crush uprisings against the communist government in the respective countries and to ensure loyalty to the Soviet Union.
- However, after Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet Union, this changed.
- The Iron Curtain was lowered and Germany was reunited with the approval of the Soviet Union. The remaining countries of the Warsaw Pact now wanted to withdraw from it.
- The Warsaw Pact was dissolved shortly thereafter in 1991.