Warsaw Pact

2. THE WARSAW PACT
The Warsaw Pact was the name
of the military alliance between the
Soviet Union and Eastern European
nations. This treaty included all
communist countries except Yugoslavia;
Soviet Union, Albania, Bulgaria,
Hungary, Poland, Romania,
Czechoslovakia, and East Germany.
The official name of the treaty is known
as “Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation,
and Mutual Assistance”.

3. Some important provisions
of the treaty:
• The members of the treaty
will defend each other if
one or more of the
members were attacked.
 The treaty also stated that
relations among the
signatories were based on
mutual noninterference in
internal affairs and respect
for national sovereignty
and independence.

4. Creation
In 1955, the USSR with its own fears of a
rearmed Germany created a competing military
alliance system, the Warsaw Pact. It integrated the
armed forces of Eastern Europe into a unified
command under the USSR. In addition, the USSR
recognized East Germany as an independent state. It
was formally called the Treaty of Friendship,
Cooperation and Mutual Assistance. The treaty was
signed in Warsaw, Poland on May 14, 1955, that
was established to counter the alleged threat from
the NATO alliance.

5. Structure
The two major organs of the Warsaw Pact are:
1. Political Consultative Committee-handles political matters
2. Combined Command of Pact Armed Forces - controlled the
assigned multi-national forces, with headquarters in Warsaw,
Poland.
 The Supreme Commander of the Unified Armed Forces of the
Warsaw Treaty Organization commands and controls all the
military forces of the member countries
Purposes
• 1. To reinforce communist dominance in Eastern Europe.
• 2. To provide a counterbalance to NATO and increase the
international negotiating power of the Soviet Union.

6. Warsaw Pact’s Use of Nuclear
Weapon
 Warsaw Pact was equipped with nuclear
weapons, like the NATO.
 The Soviet Union would not use the nuclear
weapons unless the United States used
theirs.
 Both NATO and Warsaw pact countries had
access to nuclear weapons but they didn’t
use them against each other. Why? Because,
they believed in the idea of MAD.
 Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) -
Idea that whereby to launch a nuclear attack
against another nuclear-armed power would
result in the annihilation of both.

7. How the Warsaw Pact influenced the Cold War
The Warsaw Pact was a major factor in increasing tensions between
the countries during the Cold War. Because of its opposing alliance with the
NATO, the country members of both parties sent out terrible threats, violent
propagandas, and other measures of short open warfare
What are the reasons why Warsaw Pact lost the war?
a. Economic problems:
-Lack of money for superior weapons needed to win
-Too much money spent on weapons and military already
b. Soviet control of pact failing:
-Non-Soviets weren’t trusted with Soviet weapons
-1985 -Non-Soviets demanded for more power
-Communism ending in some states

8. Events that lead to the end of
Warsaw Pact
 By late 1980s, anti-Soviet and anti-Communist
movements throughout Eastern Europe began to crack the
Warsaw Pact.
 In 1990, East Germany left the Warsaw Pact in
preparation for its reunification with West Germany.
Poland and Czechoslovakia also indicated their strong
desire to withdraw.
 In March 1991, Soviet military commanders relinquished
their control of Warsaw Pact forces. A few months later,
the pact's Political Consultative Committee met for one
final time and formally recognized what had already
effectively occurred—the Warsaw Pact was no more.

9. 1. Eastern Bloc countries
forced to sign a military
alliance: the “Warsaw Pact”
1. Great western democracies
joined NATO (North Atlantic
Treaty Organization)
2. Cuba, North Korea, China
and other communist countries
in Asia and Latin America
2. Britain, France, West
Germany and other anti-
communist countries
3. Spread communism all over
the world
3. Contain and stop the spread
of communism
4. Destroy enemies of
communism
4. Assist all other “enemies of
communism” militarily or
financially
Warsaw VS. NATO