The Warsaw Pact, officially known as the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty established by the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern European countries. Here's a detailed overview:
Formation
- Date: The pact was signed on May 14, 1955, in Warsaw, Poland.
- Founding Members: The original signatories were the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania.
- Purpose: It was formed in response to the integration of West Germany into NATO, which was seen as a threat by the Eastern Bloc.
Historical Context
- The establishment of the Warsaw Pact was a direct countermeasure to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which had been formed in 1949 to provide collective defense against the potential expansion of Soviet influence in Europe.
- The treaty aimed to prevent the rearmament of West Germany and to secure Soviet control over its satellite states in Eastern Europe.
Key Provisions
- The pact provided for mutual defense, stipulating that an attack on one member would be considered an attack on all.
- It also included clauses on economic cooperation and coordination of foreign policy, though these were less emphasized in practice.
- Article 5 of the treaty explicitly stated that it would remain in effect until a peace treaty was signed with Germany, reflecting the ongoing tension of the Cold War.
Operations and Activities
- The Warsaw Pact conducted joint military exercises and provided a framework for military coordination among its members.
- It was also used by the Soviet Union to legitimize its interventions in member states, most notably during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the Prague Spring of 1968.
- Albania withdrew from the pact in 1968 due to Sino-Soviet split tensions.
Dissolution
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