Warsaw Pact: what it was, its importance and member countries

We explain what the Warsaw Pact was and the countries that formed part of it. In addition, we explain its characteristics, criticisms and dissolution.

The Warsaw Pact was a military alliance between the countries of the Soviet bloc.

What is the Warsaw Pact?

The Warsaw Pact or “Pact of Friendship, Collaboration and Mutual Assistance” was an agreement signed in 1955 by the countries of the so-called Eastern Bloc or Soviet Bloc. Through this pact, the signatory countries established the foundations of a military alliance for mutual defensein the face of the threat of war from the countries of the Western Bloc.

The Warsaw Pact emerged in the context of the Cold War. The USSR sought to create a counterbalance alliance to the union of the Western capitalist countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and to coordinate the forces of the Eastern Bloc in the event of an invasion of Soviet territory.

The signatory countries of the Warsaw Pact were Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, the German Democratic Republic, Poland, Romania and the Soviet Union.

This pact was signed at the beginning of the Cold War, a long political, economic and strategic confrontation (1945-1991) that divided the entire world into two sides: the capitalist (Western) bloc, made up of the United States, England and their allies; and the communist (Eastern) bloc, made up of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and its allies.

Which countries are members of the Warsaw Pact?

Countries involved in the Warsaw Pact They were almost all from the Socialist Bloc: the USSR, the People’s Republic of Albania, the German Democratic Republic, the People’s Republic of Bulgaria, the Socialist Republic of Czechoslovakia, the People’s Republic of Hungary, the People’s Republic of Poland and the Socialist Republic of Romania.

Yugoslavia did not join the treaty, but was strongly influenced by it. The People’s Republic of China remained an observer until 1962.

The formation of the Pact

At the end of the Second World War, the global balance of political power was profoundly altered. Europe was devastated and its economy impoverished by the destruction and expenses of the war.

Consequently, The United States and the Soviet Union emerged as superpowers and disputed political supremacy over the European continent. In addition, these countries promoted two antagonistic political, economic and ideological systems: capitalism and communism.

The antagonism between the United States and the Soviet Union triggered the Cold War: a long period of political and military tension in the world was divided into two large blocks led by the superpowers.

In this context, the Western capitalist bloc (led by the United States) signed the Atlantic Alliance in 1954 and formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This agreement laid the groundwork for the coordination of military forces between the signatory countries in the event of an invasion of their territoriesAlthough its objectives included the political integration of European countries to maintain their security, the agreement was directly motivated by fear of Soviet advance.

The Soviet Union attempted to join the alliance with the aim of creating a European security system, which implied the neutralization and permanent division of Germany (responsible for the start of World War II). However, The Western powers rejected the proposal and excluded the Soviet Union..

Between 1945 and 1948, the USSR had signed various bilateral pacts with all the countries in its zone of influence, but with the formation of NATO, the USSR sought to form a military alliance between the entire Eastern Bloc, which would counterbalance the coordinated forces of the Western Bloc. In 1955, Albania, East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and the Soviet Union signed the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, also known as the Warsaw Pact.

The influence of the USSR

The USSR invaded Hungary in 1956 and prevented it from withdrawing from the Warsaw Pact.

The Warsaw Pact was established as a political-military agreement between the different states that made up the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War. The policy of the pact was determined by the interests of the Soviet Union, which was established as the leading superpower of the communist countries.

Among the different articles of the Pact, the following was established: mutual consultation on all important international affairs that may affect the signatory countries, political coordination between countries and the prohibition of signing other international agreements that conflict with the interests of the Pact.

The USSR’s power over the Pact’s international actions and the mobilization of forces was total. When the new government declared its withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact in the Hungarian revolution of 1956, the USSR mobilized its forces without consulting the other member countries and used them to reestablish a pro-Soviet government in Hungary.

The terms of the pact

The Warsaw Pact was established as a political-military alliance whose objective was to guarantee the inviolability of the borders of the signatory countries and ensure their defense against a possible invasion. It included the following terms:

• Cooperation for the maintenance of peace.
• Joint organization in case of foreseeable attacks.
• Mutual defense in case of military conflicts.
• Establishment of a joint “General Staff” to coordinate war efforts.
• Duration of twenty years, renewable, and freedom of each signatory State to revoke it.

The political organization

The institutional organization of the Pact evolved over the years. At the top of the organization was the Political Consultative Committee made up of the heads of government of all nationstogether with their Armed Forces chiefs.

Since the 1970s, this Committee has held regular annual meetings, establishing the policies and tasks of the bloc.

In addition, the organization of the Pact included a Military Advisory Committee, a Technical and Research Committee, and a Council of Defense Secretaries.

Those excluded from the Pact

The socialist countries that did not join the Warsaw Pact were Yugoslavia (governed by Tito), China, North Korea, North Vietnam and the Mongolian People’s Republic.

These countries were part of the Eastern Bloc, but for different reasons did not sign the Warsaw Pact.

It may be useful to you:

Military operations of the Warsaw Pact

In 1968, Pact military forces invaded Czechoslovakia to put down the revolution.

During its validity, there were only two military operations that mobilized resources and forces from the Pact. In both cases, these were internal conflicts within the signatory countries and not a foreign territorial invasion.

Hungarian autumn

In 1956, a popular revolution broke out in Hungary demanding the free election of its government and the cessation of the repressive activities of the secret police (which answered to the Soviet regime).

The rebellion led to the replacement of the pro-Soviet government by a communist government. reformist group led by Imre Nagy, who declared Hungary’s withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact. The Soviet government then mobilized the forces coordinated by the Pact and invaded Budapest, with the aim of suppressing the revolution and installing a new government under its influence.

The Prague Spring

In 1968, Czechoslovakia experienced the Prague Spring, a popular revolution seeking political liberalization. With the election of Alexander Dubček as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, began a series of reforms aimed at political democratization and economic decentralizationThese initiatives were against Soviet interests.

In response, Warsaw Pact troops were mobilized for a second time, invaded the country and imposed a new government that reversed most of the reforms. From then until 1989, Soviet forces remained in the country.

The dissolution of the Pact

The end of the Cold War came with the disintegration of the Soviet Union. In that context, the Warsaw Pact lost its usefulness. In 1991, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland announced their withdrawal. Months later, Bulgaria did the same, which led to the dissolution of the pact. Its end was formalized by the USSR that same year.

Currently, with the exception of Russia (former Soviet Union), All countries that were part of the Warsaw Pact are members of NATO.

Text of the Warsaw Pact

The Contracting Parties,

“Reaffirming its aspiration to create a system of collective security in Europe based on the participation of all European States, regardless of their social and political status, which will enable them to unite their efforts in the interest of ensuring peace in Europe;

Taking into account, at the same time, the situation created in Europe by the ratification of the Paris Agreements,…