Agreement on the creation of the Warsaw Pact organization. Which countries were included in the Warsaw Pact organization

In the year of our country’s anniversary in the Great Patriotic War, we remember the post-war pages of history. Today is a completely appropriate case: exactly 60 years ago, the Soviet military bloc appeared on the world map, which today can be called “red NATO”, which is replaced today by the CSTO - the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The Warsaw Pact Organization (abbreviated as Warsaw Treaty Organization) is what we will talk about today.

Before we get to the story of our first military bloc, let's look at some history. So, the year is 1945. Europe is recovering after 6 years of war. There are ruins, piles of garbage and corpses of both soldiers and civilians all around. This picture could be observed in post-war Germany and Austria. Women work on the streets instead of men. They clear away rubble and transport construction sludge. Some cannot withstand heavy physical labor and fall exhausted on the asphalt. Later, in historiography they would be called Trümmerfrauen, whose memory would later be immortalized. Europe did not recover on its own. Britain, having formally won by then, no longer plays the role of first fiddle in the world. The empire collapsed, and in Europe the interests of two new powers collided: the USSR and the USA. London sided with Washington as expected, and the USSR pursued its own independent foreign policy. All Western Europe, as after the First World War, was driven into the financial cabala of the United States: the “Dawes Plan” replaced the “Marshall Plan”. The Americans also offered their assistance to the Soviet Union, but the authorities of the Soviet Kremlin refused it, which caused the indignation of the Americans. Soviet diplomat V. Molotov recalled: “Since we refused to join the Marshall Plan, it means we did the right thing.” Both sides helped Europe get back on its feet: the USSR dealt with Eastern Europe, which included Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Albania, Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Poland and which would join the Warsaw Warsaw 10 years later, and the United States, in turn, helped its main ally in Europe - Britain, France, Italy, BeniLux and the rest, except Spain and Portugal, who held a position of neutrality. Both sides dealt with Germany and Austria together, along with England and France, dividing 2 (during the war - one) state into 4 parts. And if Austria managed to gain neutral status and withdraw the troops of the 4 powers 10 years after the occupation, then Germany could not avoid such a fate. Post-war Germany became an arena of confrontation between two systems, splitting into the GDR (Soviet zone) and the Federal Republic of Germany (American zone).

Flag of Germany in the early post-war years (temporary), symbolizing the division of the country. 1946-49

The Americans clearly did not need the appearance of a competitor in the East and they tried with all their might to contain it. In March 1948, the Brussels Pact was concluded between Belgium, Great Britain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France, which later formed the basis of the “Western European Union” (WEU). It is considered to be the beginning of the formation of the North Atlantic Alliance. In parallel, secret negotiations were conducted between the United States, Canada and Great Britain on the creation of an alliance based on their civilizational unity. Negotiations between European countries and the United States and Canada soon followed to create a single union. In 1946, Churchill delivered his “Fulton Speech,” which laid the foundation for “ cold war"On August 18, 1948, the Dulles Plan was adopted, and on April 4, exactly 10 years after the end civil war in Spain, a new military bloc has appeared on the map - NATO, which today personifies an evil beast, which may soon cease to exist itself, because the signs of decay of this bloc are obvious, and NATO is simply not ready for a big war, and the growth of anti-American moods are getting higher every year and day. This year the bloc celebrated 66 years of its aggressive existence.

However, for the NATO members, everything did not start as smoothly as they wanted. Iceland is the only thorn in the bloc, which does not have its own army, which is why protests have broken out in the country.

The initiators of the unrest are considered to be the United Socialist Party of Iceland, the successor Communist Party Iceland. A group of protesters on the morning of March 30, 1949 gathered behind a school in the center of Reykjavik and headed to Austurvöllur Park in front of the Althing building. Another group of protesters was already there, demanding that the Althing immediately cancel the decision to join NATO. Initially, the protest was peaceful, but then one of the protesters, a member of the Icelandic Socialist Party, shouted into a megaphone that the party leader had been taken hostage. This was the signal to begin: a fight broke out.

The Althing ignored the protesters' speeches and confirmed the country's entry into NATO, but this led to massive anti-NATO protests throughout the country. From May 18 to May 21, 1951, the largest general strike of workers in the history of the country took place, protesting against the Icelandic-American defense agreement of May 5, 1951, which was considered unequal. Over the next few years, slogans were heard more than once: “Remove Iceland from NATO and disband the army!” (isl. Ísland úr NATO og herinn burt!). Left parties entered the elections of the 50s and 60s with the promise of denouncing the bilateral Icelandic-American defense agreement, but when they entered the government coalition, they were forced to abandon this promise.

Protesters began throwing stones and bricks at the parliament building and broke all the windows. One stone almost hit the head of the Althing. The police intervened in the matter, and members of the Independence Party came to the defense of the Althing. Police beat protesters with batons and dispersed them with tear gas. The number of participants was several thousand; data on the dead and wounded is unknown. Ultimately, in 2006, parts of the US armed forces were forced to leave the base in Keflavik, although Iceland remained a member of NATO (senior Icelandic diplomat Einar Benediktsson writes that the decision to withdraw units from Iceland was made in the US long before this, and the final step was postponed for at least a decade due to the insistence of the Icelandic government).

The USSR perceived the creation of the bloc in 1949 as a threat to its own security. In 1954 in Berlin, at a meeting of the foreign ministers of the United States, Great Britain, France and the USSR, Soviet representatives were assured that NATO was a purely defensive organization. In response to calls for cooperation, the USSR sent a note on March 31, 1954 with a proposal to consider “together with interested governments the question of the USSR’s participation in the North Atlantic Treaty,” but this initiative was rejected in a reply note with the statement that the organization is “more than military” and such the proposal “contradicts the very principles on which the defense system and security of Western states depends.” In 1954, the West ratified the Paris Agreements of 1954, which provided for the formation of the Western European Union, carried out the remilitarization of West Germany and the inclusion of Germany in NATO.

But the USSR did not sit idly by. Back in 1949. G. Soviet Union managed to create his first organization - CMEA, which had the character economic integration. In 1952, Greece and Türkiye joined the American bloc (“First NATO Expansion”). West Germany became a member of NATO in 1955 ("Second NATO Enlargement"). Hanging over the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe new threat. The Kremlin leaders took a retaliatory step. Even before the creation of the Department of Internal Affairs, Stalin said that “communism suits Poland like a mare’s saddle,” because Poland was the cornerstone of Europe. On May 14, 1955, at the Warsaw meeting of European states to ensure peace and security in Europe, a corresponding document was signed, securing a bipolar world until the end of 1991. Thus, a new bloc appeared on the map of Europe, representing an alternative to NATO. OVD - Warsaw Pact Organization.

Thus, by the beginning of the summer of 1955, the division of Europe between the USSR and the USA was finally consolidated. Dual power reigned in the world.

The Warsaw Pact is a military-political bloc that was the largest military formation in the world that has ever existed, the area of which exceeded the area of today's NATO with all 28 of its members. With about 30 million square kilometers of land, 22.1 of which were in the Soviet Union, it resembled a huge colossus, maintaining which was akin to the work of Atlas in maintaining the firmament. The strength of the Armed Forces was more than 7.5 million soldiers, 5 million of which were parts of the Red Army.

Taking into account the fact that the total military potential of the European countries participating in the Warsaw Warsaw Forces was not comparable with the military potential of the USSR, the essence of the Warsaw Warsaw Warsaw Forces was the nuclear “umbrella” of the USSR over the European socialist countries and the ability of the Soviet Armed Forces to use the territory of the allies. The creation of the Department of Internal Affairs legitimized the deployment of Soviet troops in Central European countries. In the mid-80s. A group of Soviet troops of 380 thousand people was stationed in the GDR, in Poland - 40 thousand, in Czechoslovakia - 80 thousand, in Hungary - about 70 thousand SA servicemen. At the end of the 50s. preparations were being made for the opening of a naval base on the Adriatic Sea (Albania). Within the framework of the Warsaw Warsaw War, the USSR Ministry of Defense was given the opportunity to control the armed forces of the countries participating in the Warsaw Warsaw Warsaw Forces and to rearm them. The exchange of intelligence information was established. Within the framework of the Warsaw Warfare, constant rearmament of the countries' troops was carried out Warsaw Pact, retraining of officers took place as planned. A wide exchange of military experience was launched.

According to the number of its participants, the Department of Internal Affairs adopted 8 languages, and Czech and Slovak were adopted instead of Albanian, and all documentation and command were conducted in Russian. If NATO was a typically expansionist bloc, which it remains today, then the Warsaw Department was a counterweight and was purely defensive in nature.

The political leadership of the Department of Internal Affairs was carried out by the Political Consultative Committee, which united the heads of state - members of the organization. Military leadership carried out the Unified Command of the Armed Forces, which, according to tradition, was headed by the Marshal of the Soviet Union. The first commander was the hero of the Great Patriotic War Marshal I.S. Konev.

In line with the USSR's diplomatic efforts to prevent a global nuclear conflict, the Department of Internal Affairs was positioned as a defensive bloc, whose activities were directed against possible aggression from NATO.

Within the Department of Internal Affairs, decisions were not made by consensus. The organization was under the complete control of the Soviet leadership, in military terms - General Staff USSR Ministry of Defense. Within the framework of the Warsaw Warfare, a policy of bilateral multi-level complex military-political integration of the socialist countries of Central Europe with the USSR was pursued, establishing strict control over the armies of the countries allied to the Soviet Union. The effectiveness of this policy was demonstrated in 1981, when the Polish armed forces people's republic actually fulfilled police functions, saving the ML from the need to intervene in the internal affairs of Poland following the example of 1968 in Czechoslovakia.

Like NATO, the Warsaw Department was not without internal contradictions and problems. In 1961, due to political and ideological differences between Moscow and Tirana, Albania ceased its participation in the activities of the Department of Internal Affairs; in 1968, Albania formalized its withdrawal from the organization. In 1966, General de Gaulle made the same demarche, withdrawing his country from NATO, retaining only his political structures in the bloc. The leader of the National Front, Marine Le Pen, plans to slam the door with all her heart and completely withdraw the country from NATO, including not only the military, but also the political structures, if she wins the 2016 presidential elections. In the 70s and 80s, periodically Romania demonstrated its special position in the activities of the Department of Internal Affairs. From time to time, leaks of military-technical information to NATO member countries were discovered in the activities of the allies.

The most important part of the activities of the Department of Internal Affairs was the wide cooperation of intelligence services and various special forces, which constitute the main support of the ruling regimes in the countries participating in the organization.

The treaty entered into force on June 5, 1955. On April 26, 1985, due to expiration, it was extended for 20 years. Currently inactive.
The treaty consisted of a preamble and 11 articles. In accordance with its terms and the UN Charter, the states parties to the Warsaw Pact were obliged to refrain from their international relations from the threat or use of force, and in the event of an armed attack on any of them, to provide the attacked states with immediate assistance by all means that seem necessary to them, including the use of armed forces.

Management structures of the Department of Internal Affairs
The Political Advisory Committee (PAC) is the highest collective body of the organization. Created to conduct consultations and consider issues arising in connection with the implementation of the Warsaw Pact.
Unified Command armed forces(OKVS) - to ensure interaction between armed forces and strengthen the defense capabilities of the countries participating in the Warsaw Pact.

Commanders-in-Chief of the OKVS:
1955-1960 - I. S. Konev - Marshal of the Soviet Union,
1960-1967 - A. A. Grechko - Marshal of the Soviet Union,
1967-1976 - I. I. Yakubovsky - Marshal of the Soviet Union,
1977-1989 - V. G. Kulikov - Marshal of the Soviet Union,
1989-1991 - P. G. Lushev - Army General.

Chiefs of Staff:
1955-1962 - A. I. Antonov - Army General,
1962-1965 - P.I. Batov - Army General,
1965-1968 - M.I. Kazakov - Army General,
1968-1976 - S. M. Shtemenko - Army General,
1976-1988 - A. I. Gribkov - Army General,
1989-1991 - V. N. Lobov - Army General.

ATS declarations
At the Moscow meeting of the PKK (1958), a Declaration was adopted, which proposed concluding a non-aggression pact between the member states of the Warsaw Pact and NATO members.

In the Declaration adopted at the meeting of the PKK in Moscow (1960), the allied states approved the decision of the Soviet government to unilaterally abandon nuclear tests provided that the Western powers do not also resume nuclear explosions, and called for the creation of favorable conditions for completing the development of an agreement to stop testing nuclear weapons.

At the Warsaw meeting of the PAC (1965), the situation that had developed in connection with plans to create NATO multilateral nuclear forces was discussed, and protective measures were also considered in the event of the implementation of these plans.

The most complete peace-loving program of the Warsaw Pact member states was formulated in the Declaration on Strengthening Peace and Security in Europe, adopted at the PCC meeting in Bucharest (1966). The program for achieving European security developed in the Declaration provided, in particular, along with the solution of other important issues, the development of good neighborly relations between all European states based on the principles of peaceful coexistence of states with different social systems; partial measures for military detente on the European continent; excluding the possibility of Germany's access to nuclear weapons in any form; recognition of actually existing borders in Europe, etc. To discuss issues of ensuring security in Europe and establishing pan-European cooperation, the states participating in the Warsaw Pact proposed convening a pan-European meeting.

Budapest meeting of the PKK (March 17, 1969) - adopted the Declaration on Strengthening Peace and Security in Europe. The Budapest meeting of the PKK, along with considering issues of strengthening and improving the military organization of the Warsaw Pact, paid great attention to issues of European security and adopted an Appeal to all European countries regarding the preparation and holding of a pan-European conference with the aim of finding ways and means leading to the elimination of the division of Europe into military factions and the implementation of peaceful cooperation between European states and peoples, to the creation of a strong system of collective security.

The bloc participants did not remain idle. Like NATO, they also conducted joint command and staff exercises and military exercises and maneuvers. The exercises were carried out on the territory of all countries included in the Warsaw Department. The largest included exercises codenamed “Quartet” (1963), “October Storm” (1965), “Rhodope” (1967), “Dnepr” (1967), “North” (1968), “Brotherhood in Arms” (1970), “West-81” (1981), “Shield-82” (1982).

Within the framework of the Department of Internal Affairs, the Military Council of the United Armed Forces was also created. The presence of the Department of Internal Affairs provided a legal basis for the participation of Soviet troops in the suppression of the anti-communist uprising in Hungary in 1965. In 1968, military contingents of the participating countries of the Department of Internal Affairs took part in the events in Czechoslovakia, suppressing the “Prague Spring”. Also in 1968, participants in the Bucharest meeting of the Department of Internal Affairs, as well as the meeting of the PKK in Sofia, strongly condemned the US armed intervention in Vietnam.

The war in Afghanistan was the beginning of the end not only of the USSR, but also of the bloc itself. The Red Army fought alone against the Mujahideen, while its allies simply sat back in their offices. The main thesis worked Russian history: "our allies are the army and navy; everyone else is against us." Perhaps due to the fact that the Soviet leaders were too disdainful of them, history punished them for this. On July 1, 1991, the "Union of Peace and Socialism", the "red nuclear porcupine" ceased to exist.

It all started with the seizure of power in Poland by the Solidarity trade union under the leadership of L. Walesa. It is no longer a secret that Solidarity was nurtured by the CIA and the seizure of power actually symbolized the transfer of Polish sovereignty from one hand to another. Whether representatives of the current Polish elite remember this fact is a question for them. One way or another, Poland became the first state after Albania to leave the ATS zone. In 1993, the country joined NATO, where it remains to this day, but under a different protectorate.
Events in Poland are present in the band's song Civil defense"New Patriotic":

"We are not afraid of Almaty and the events in Poland
After all, there are more and more heroic patriots every day
And for the counter, a mother like Lech Walesa
We will rediscover Buchenwald and Auschwitz
Conduct experiments on all kinds of anarchists
We have steel arguments for everything

After all, we are moving along a flaming path to communism.
We are moving along a burning path to communism."

The “burning path” of the USSR ultimately led not to communism, but to its own collapse. Another saying that the Soviet leaders forgot: “they don’t go to someone else’s church with their own rules.” Today, the Americans themselves disdain it, having started the whole global mess, and now they are clearing it up and fighting terrorism alone and without the help of allies, and unfortunately, unsuccessfully, thereby signing up for inciting terrorism and stepping on the same rake.

The Red Army left, and the USSR ceased to exist. But who knows when we will return again and when the USA will disappear - it’s a matter of time. The creation of the CSTO is one of the important steps in the foreign policy of post-Soviet Russia, which does not provide for the creation of puppet governments in the Eurasian space, unlike the Warsaw Warsaw Organization and NATO, and is a more advanced model of a military-political bloc, taking into account all the characteristics of its participants. Therefore, I want to ask a question to those people who want to go back to the USSR: do you really want pro-Russian puppet governments to appear in Europe? Come to your senses, this is the 21st century—the age of information and information wars. No one will ever lick your anus for your desire to see this or that country in its ranks. Time to cooperate with the healthy forces of Europe, time to find common ground on equal conditions. The lesson of Soviet influence in the West, nevertheless, was learned at least formally - why again expose your country to the stigma of an occupier?
As the Spanish philosopher Jorge Santayana noted: “Whoever does not learn history is doomed to repeat it.” Experience shows that you need to learn from the mistakes of others so as not to repeat them later. Let the Americans repeat them, but this is no longer our business and there is no need for us to help them with anything. Our job is to go our own independent way.

So, have a good journey, and may the heavenly light show you the way to a clear future! And the police department will remain a memory to this day. A pleasant memory of the glorious era of military and ideological brotherhood!

After World War II, the Warsaw Pact Organization came into existence. The year of its formation is 1955. It existed until 1991. On May 14, 1955, the Military Warsaw Pact was signed. The countries participating in this event thus responded to Germany's accession to NATO. This document was signed by socialist European states. The leading role among them then belonged to the Soviet Union. Let us consider further what the Warsaw Pact Organization was.

General information

The Warsaw Pact Organization was formed by Czechoslovakia, the USSR, Romania, Poland, the GDR, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Albania. The document signed by these states in order to ensure security and peace in Europe came into force on June 5, 1955. On April 26, 1985, due to its expiration, it was extended for another 20 years. However, 5 years later, transformations began in a number of countries in Eastern and Central Europe, and then in the USSR. The dissolution of the Warsaw Pact Organization took place on July 1, 1991. On this day, the Protocol on the complete termination of its operation was signed. The formation of the Warsaw Pact Organization was of particular strategic importance. It was an association consisting of quite strong countries striving for unity and security in the world.

Terms

The agreement included a preamble and eleven articles. According to the terms of the document, as well as the UN Charter, the Warsaw Pact countries assumed obligations to refrain from the use of force or the threat of its use in international relations with other states. If an armed attack is carried out on any of the parties to the Agreement, the others must immediately provide assistance with all means at their disposal, including army forces.

Management

The Warsaw Pact formed a political advisory committee. Its tasks included consideration of all issues related to the implementation of the signed Agreement. The troops of the Warsaw Pact countries were under the general subordination of the OKVS (Unified Command). This body was supposed to ensure the interaction of the armed forces and strengthen the defense capabilities of the participating states.

Declarations

The first of them was adopted in Moscow, at a meeting of the PKK in 1958. In this Declaration, the Warsaw Pact invited NATO members to conclude a non-aggression pact. The next document was adopted in 1960, also in Moscow. The declaration adopted at this meeting approved the USSR's decision to unilaterally abandon nuclear tests if the rest Western states they will also not resume explosions. The Allied Powers also called for the creation of favorable conditions for the completion of the implementation of the agreement to end the experimental use of weapons. In 1965, the Warsaw meeting took place. It discussed the situation that had developed as a result of plans to form NATO's nuclear multilateral forces. The meeting also discussed protective measures in the event of the implementation of these programs. At the Budapest meeting in 1966, the Declaration on Strengthening Security and Peace in Europe was adopted.

Maneuvers and exercises

The Warsaw Pact organization held joint events with the participation of armies. Maneuvers and command post exercises were conducted on the territories of all allied states. The largest events were the following:

"Quartet" (in 1963).
"October Assault" (in 1965).
"Rhodope" (in 1967).
"North" (in 1968).
"Brotherhood in Arms" (in 1970).
"West-81" (in 1981).
"Shield-82" (in 1982).

Intelligence operations

The Warsaw Pact Organization maintained constant coordination between the intelligence agencies of the allied states. In 1979, the global radio-electronic communication system (SOUD) began to function. It included space reconnaissance assets of the GDR, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, the USSR, as well as Cuba, Mongolia and Vietnam, which were not part of the Agreement.

Allied Doctrine

The Warsaw Pact countries maintained a defensive position. In 1955-65. the doctrine boiled down to the Soviet strategy of warfare using a massive nuclear missile strike with a simultaneous lightning offensive to capture enemy territory, depriving him of the opportunity to continue the battle. The formation of the Warsaw Pact Organization, at its core, was a counterweight to NATO, and in particular, the United States. In accordance with the doctrine of this decade, the possibility of pre-emptive nuclear strikes was allowed if a threat of a surprise attack was detected, similar to the American strategy of “massive retaliation”. Relevant tasks were distributed among the allied states. Thus, the USSR army was entrusted with carrying out strategic strikes using nuclear weapons. Battles in the World Ocean were to be fought by united fleets, and on the European continent by aviation and ground forces. At the same time, the participation of associations from the USSR Army was envisaged in the main areas.

1966-1980

During this period, the military doctrine of the Department of Internal Affairs provided gradual development actions. It was supposed to start with the use of only conventional weapons, limited use of nuclear weapons, gradually moving, if necessary, to their massive introduction. Nuclear weapons could only be used if they were used by NATO. Still special attention was aimed at carrying out a strategic offensive on enemy territory to quickly defeat his main forces and capture the most important economic regions. This doctrine was similar to the American "flexible response" program.

Early 80s strategy

It is based on the principle of readiness to fight any kind of battle. In accordance with this doctrine, military operations were assumed both without nuclear weapons and with them. At the same time, a number of local battles using conventional weapons were envisaged. Preemptive nuclear strikes were not planned. At the same time, nuclear weapons were allowed to be used only if they were used by the enemy. Along with strategic offensives on enemy territories, large-scale defensive operations were also planned.

The meaning of Poland

In mid-October 1955, a Protocol of Agreements between the Soviet and Polish governments was signed in Moscow. In accordance with it, the Polish Armed Forces, in addition to the air defense forces, were supposed to send part of their operational troops, consolidated into the Primorsky Front from the air and three combined arms armies. These forces were to operate in the United Armed Forces of the allied states in the second strategic echelon in the auxiliary direction. Their task was to cover the right flank of the main strike force of the USSR, as well as the sea coast from possible landings of NATO troops.

KMO

The committee, consisting of the defense ministers of the allied states, developed plans for joint command and staff activities. These included, in particular, programs for general exercises and maneuvers, cooperation in the training of soldiers and staffs, unification of charters, instructions, manuals, rules and other documents, as well as the introduction of new weapons and equipment, logistics support, and so on.

Technical Committee

This body was in charge of modernizing the equipment of the joint forces. The committee was developing programs to unify them, which would facilitate interaction during battles. In addition, he established specialization in production military equipment certain participating states.

OBC

The armed forces of the Internal Affairs Directorate included assets from the armed forces of the allied states. The size of the armies was agreed upon by bilateral agreements between the Soviet government and the leadership of other countries. Documents were updated every 5 years. This was due to the development of programs for the development of the armed forces of individual states in the next five-year plans. During the peace period, only the most trained forces were present in the United Forces. In case of war, they were joined by operational units that were trained to fight on external fronts.

"Shield-79"

Operational-tactical maneuvers under this code name took place from May 12 to May 19, 1979. Troops and headquarters of the Hungarian, Bulgarian, Czechoslovak, Soviet armies, as well as the Romanian Armed Forces. The head of operations was the Hungarian general Tsinege. During the exercises, issues related to the conduct of combat operations by the combined efforts of the allied armies were worked out. The events demonstrated the increased level of operational and tactical training of officers, generals and staffs. The exercises contributed to the subsequent interaction of the armed forces of the allied states, as well as the strengthening of combat cooperation between them. The events involved mainly ground forces together with air force units and units.

Exercises "Brotherhood in Arms"

This was a combined arms event that took place on the territory of the GDR and the Baltic waters adjacent to it. The exercises were conducted according to the plans of the Joint Command. The head of the operations was General Hoffmann of the German Army. During the exercises, the 234th Guards Parachute Regiment of the Red Banner Chernigov Division was deployed. Everyone who was present at the observation deck was delighted with the training of the soldiers. All personnel received gratitude from the USSR Minister of Defense and an award - a Pennant for military valor and courage. It is worth saying that this was the first history of the Airborne Forces the release of 1,200 people from a four-hundred-meter height in difficult weather conditions. Marines of the Baltic Fleet also took part in the events. From the national army of the GDR, the 40th parachute battalion showed its skills. The exercises ended on September 12, 1980 with a parade in Magdeburg. Unlike previous events, Operation Brotherhood in Arms was distinguished by a wider range of operational training tasks, a larger number of personnel, and a territorial scope. These exercises became a serious test for the United Army. The conclusions that were obtained during the maneuvers on issues of operational art and tactics had an impact significant influence for subsequent aircraft training.

On May 14, 1955, the Warsaw Pact was signed by Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union. This powerful structure provided a counterweight to NATO for 36 years, and was dissolved almost routinely. Mikhail Gorbachev did not even take part in the final meeting of the leadership of the Department of Internal Affairs.

Peacefulness involuntarily

The Warsaw Pact was created 6 years after the emergence of NATO. After the end of World War II, the USSR was not at all as eager to export the revolution as our “Western partners” tried to imagine. It is a known fact that in the post-war years, the communists of France (then the most popular party in the country) were preparing to raise a general uprising and turned to Stalin with a request to support them in the event of intervention by the United States and Great Britain. To which Stalin, the supreme commander of the most powerful army in the world at that time, responded with a categorical refusal. The reason for such peacefulness of the victors of Nazi Germany was mainly due to the enormous losses suffered by the Soviet and, above all, the Russian people. Stalin understood that the USSR most likely would not survive another large-scale war (including nuclear weapons) with the West. It is no coincidence that the thesis became so widespread among our people for half a century: if only there was no war.

Forced alliance

However, it was impossible not to react at all to the growing US military presence in Europe. The last straw that forced the USSR to create a military interstate socialist organization in Europe was the entry of Germany into NATO, contrary to the initial post-war plans to turn divided Germany into a demilitarized zone.

On May 14, 1955, the Warsaw Pact (WTP) on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance was signed. Its participants were Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany, Poland, Romania, USSR and Czechoslovakia. All of these were countries where, after liberation from fascist occupation, socialist regimes were established with the tacit support of the Soviet Union.

OVD participants emphasized that the organization is strictly defensive in nature. And, as history has shown, by and large, this was the case. A Political Advisory Committee (PAC) was created to lead the bloc.

Well forgotten old

Conversations about collective security in Europe began more than half a century ago. Already at the first (Prague) meeting of the PKK (January 27-28, 1956), the states participating in the Warsaw Warsaw Division made proposals that provided for the replacement of the existing military groupings in Europe with a system of collective security, the establishment of zones of limitation and arms control, etc.

That is, the ideological-military confrontation in Europe was not at all in the interests of the leadership of the USSR, who well understood that the country, weakened by the war, should devote all its efforts to restoring its own industry and agriculture, to save human potential.

On the shoulders of the USSR

Just as during the Second World War, the USSR took the main blow from Nazi Germany and bore the brunt of the war in 1941-1945, so the Soviet Union had to play a “leading role” in the Department of Internal Affairs. This meant virtually full financing of the organization’s activities and the supply of weapons to participating countries.

The role of the USSR in the Department of Internal Affairs is shown by the fact that throughout the entire history of the organization, the commanders-in-chief of the United Armed Forces were exclusively Soviet marshals and generals.

Parity at a high price

NATO, which opposed the Warsaw Warsaw, initially included 12 countries, including such powers as the USA, Great Britain, and France. Before the collapse of the Warsaw Division, four more states joined the North Atlantic Alliance.

The Warsaw bloc, despite the fact that according to the charter it was open to the entry of new members, during its entire existence it did not increase, but, on the contrary, lost one of the participating countries - Albania. Thus, from the beginning of the 60s of the last century until 1991, a socialist bloc of 7 countries was opposed by a bloc of 15 “capital countries”. Even a rough comparison of the potential of these states, say, by total population, shows how much more advantageous NATO was in the position. Its member countries, relying on the support of the United States, which became rich during the Second World War, felt quite comfortable in the bloc. Military expenditures did not burden state budgets. The USSR, on the contrary, was forced to devote “the best brains” and huge funds to defense. As a result, at the cost of great effort, parity between the Warsaw Department and NATO was created and maintained for several decades.

According to the data given in Valentin Varennikov’s book “Unique,” by the beginning of the 80s, NATO in Europe had a slight advantage in conventional weapons. The alliance had 94 combat-ready divisions at its disposal (including about 60 separate combat-ready brigades), while the Warsaw Pact had 78 divisions. At the same time, the size of the deployed American division was 16-19 thousand, and the German division was more than 23 thousand people, while the division of the armies of the Warsaw Pact countries numbered a maximum of 11-12 thousand people. The ATS had a significant advantage in tanks. But NATO had a significantly larger number of anti-tank weapons. In addition, the United States and its allies outnumbered the socialist bloc in combat aircraft by 1.2 times, and in helicopters by 1.8 times.

However, a comparison of all types of weapons, including nuclear ones, indicated an approximate equality of the combat capabilities of the parties.

Parallels

Members of the ATS organization, when signing the agreement, “undertook to act in a spirit of friendship and cooperation in order to further development and strengthening economic and cultural ties among themselves, following the principles of mutual respect for independence, sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of each other and other states.”

However, in practice, the sovereignty of one of the participating countries was violated by ATS troops. We are talking about the famous entry of troops into Czechoslovakia in 1968. This episode is often cited to this day as proof of the aggressiveness of the USSR's policy. However, several months before Soviet tanks appeared on the streets of Prague, the leadership of the USSR already had information that activists of the so-called “Prague Spring” were ready to ask NATO to send alliance troops to Czechoslovakia. Several divisions were in full combat readiness air force USA. As during the recent Ukrainian events, the leadership of the USSR was faced with a choice: to let events take their course with unpredictable consequences, or to intervene, preventing Czechoslovakia from leaving the Warsaw Division, which would have been tantamount to a serious defeat in the Cold War.

Quiet liquidation

A little more than two decades passed and the new leadership of the USSR calmly, almost indifferently “surrendered” not only Czechoslovakia, but also all other countries participating in the Warsaw Pact, which, after the “quiet dissolution” of the Warsaw Pact in 1991, fell into the sphere of influence of NATO, and later 8 years 3 of them joined the bloc. After another 5 years, all former members of the Warsaw Pact, except for the legal successor of the USSR - Russia, became members of the North Atlantic Alliance.

In the first post-war decade, a bilateral system of international relations was established in the world. This is the time when the global confrontation between two superpowers began - the United States of America and the Soviet Union, as well as the confrontation between two military-political organizations - the North Atlantic Alliance and the Warsaw Pact.

In countries Eastern Europe The Warsaw Pact was signed. This happened in 1955. Its main task was to exercise control over these states, as well as to ensure security and peace in Europe. According to the Treaty, it was intended to provide assistance to the participating countries in the event of a military threat, conduct mutual consultations in crisis situations and form a Unified Command of the Armed Forces.

The Warsaw Pact of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance was signed by Albania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, East Germany, Romania, Czechoslovakia and the USSR 6 years after the formation of NATO. It should be noted that cooperation between these states existed long before the signing of the document. The fact is that in most of them, after the end of the war, a communist system of government was established, which was largely facilitated by Soviet troops remaining in Eastern Europe. And until the signing of the agreement, all relations between them were carried out on the basis of agreements of friendship and cooperation. In 1949, the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance was formed, which initially included Bulgaria, the Soviet Union, Hungary, Romania, Poland and Czechoslovakia, and later other countries.

At the same time, after 1953, in some of the countries of Eastern Europe there were signs of mass discontent caused by the controversial policies of the USSR. Thus, mass demonstrations and strikes took place in Czechoslovakia and Hungary. And in the GDR they were so numerous that the Soviet leadership was forced to introduce tanks to suppress the protests of workers dissatisfied with the deteriorating standard of living. When I. Stalin died in 1953 and new leaders came to power, they undertook a number of trips to the countries of the socialist camp. Their result was the signing of the Warsaw Pact. It included almost all Eastern European states, with the exception of Yugoslavia, which adhered to neutrality. Signing of this document was caused primarily by the emergence of military threats as a result of ratification Paris Agreements 1954, which envisaged the creation of the Western European Union and the accession of West Germany to the North Atlantic Alliance.

The signing of the above document formalized the creation of the Warsaw Pact Organization, a military-political organization of socialist European states. Its creation became a kind of response to the formation of NATO, which was aimed against the socialist camp.

The goals of the Warsaw Pact included ensuring the security of the participating countries. It consisted of a preamble and eleven articles. According to its terms and the Charter of the United Nations, all signatory states were obliged to renounce or refrain in international politics from threats or direct use of force, and in the event of an armed conflict, to provide assistance by all available means.

Also, participating countries were obliged to act to strengthen cooperation and friendly relations to further develop cultural and economic relations, while respecting national sovereignty, and without interfering in each other's internal politics. But it should also be noted that membership in the Organization was not always voluntary, and rare attempts to leave it were harshly suppressed (for example, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Poland).

The highest body of the Warsaw Treaty Organization was also created - the Political Consultative Committee, the main tasks of which included consultations on controversial issues that arose within the framework of the implementation of the Treaty.

But the activities of the Department of Internal Affairs were very controversial and not always successful. It is important to recall that in its confrontation with NATO there were two major crises that almost became the cause of the Third World War: the Berlin and Caribbean crises.

The cause of the Berlin crisis of 1959-1962 was the mass relocation of East German residents to West Berlin. To put an end to unauthorized relocation, the famous Berlin Wall was built overnight, with checkpoints installed. But such actions caused even greater discontent among the population; huge crowds of those who wanted to leave the borders of Soviet Berlin gathered near the checkpoint. This led to the concentration of Soviet and American tanks. As a result, the confrontation between the two states ended with Soviet authorities were forced to withdraw their tanks from these positions.

Another crisis situation arose in 1962 in the Caribbean, putting the world at risk of nuclear war. It all started with the Americans placing their missile base in Turkey. The Soviet Union could not leave this unanswered, so they secretly placed their missiles on the island of Cuba. When this became known in the United States of America, real panic began there, since the actions of the Soviet leadership were perceived as the beginning of preparations for war. Fortunately, everything did not end so badly: Soviet troops withdrew their missiles from Cuba, the Americans liquidated their base in Turkey and pledged not to take any action against Cuba.

In addition to these conflicts, there were many other crisis situations within the Organization itself. The main reason for them was the desire of some countries to better life and the desire to free themselves from the influence of the Soviet Union. Such crises include the uprising in Hungary, which occurred in 1956 (Operation Whirlwind), attempts to carry out reforms in Czechoslovakia in 1968 (Prague Spring, Operation Danube). All of them were solved with the help of Soviet tanks.

We should not forget about the war in Afghanistan of 1979-1989. In 1979, as a result of a military coup, a new leadership came to power there, which had the intention of building a model of a socialist state, taking the USSR as a model. This policy caused discontent among the population, as a result of which Afghan President Amin was forced to turn to the Soviet Union for help. What happened next is known to everyone. The introduction of a limited Soviet contingent into Afghan territory, which was only supposed to keep the situation under control. The result was a 10-year war and international isolation of the Soviet Union.

In 1985, due to the expiration of the Warsaw Pact, it was extended for 20 years.

When perestroika began in the USSR, changes occurred in the entire foreign policy of the country. The Soviet leadership did not interfere with the “velvet” revolutions in Eastern European countries in 1989-1990. In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, and a year later the two Germanys were united into a single state. For the Union, this meant the loss of a faithful ally.

The impetus for the beginning of the collapse of the military Soviet Empire was the signing of the Budapest Treaty of 1991 by three countries - Poland, Hungary and East Germany. This document drew a line under the existence of the Warsaw Pact Organization.

The Warsaw Pact itself raises many questions. So, for example, what did the Soviet Union directly gain with its signing? IN lately many historians are inclined to think that this was a well-thought-out political move by N. Khrushchev, who sought to create a certain joint organization to ensure collective security. The Soviet leadership began to understand the fact that NATO was beginning to be threatened military power The USSR and its advantage on European territory.

However, if we talk about the superiority of the West that really existed at that time, it consisted only in methods of intimidation using nuclear weapons. As for conventional weapons and equipment, the undeniable advantage was on the side of the Soviet Union. Moreover, this, according to many experts, was the reason for the emergence of the North Atlantic Alliance.

America and its allies immediately after the end of the war began disarmament and mass dismissal of military personnel, but the USSR was in no hurry to do this. And Americans could feel safe only until 1957, when the first Soviet artificial satellite was launched and, thus, the threat of launching nuclear weapons into orbit arose.

Be that as it may, the Warsaw Pact ceased to exist, however, just like the USSR. But the unspoken confrontation between the United States and Russia still persists.

In May 1955, at a meeting held in Warsaw, the agenda of which included issues of ensuring peace and security, the leaders of a number of countries signed a Treaty of Friendship, Mutual Assistance and Cooperation. The adoption of the document took place on May 15, while the initiative to sign the agreement belonged to the Soviet Union. In addition to him, the actually created military bloc included Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Albania, East Germany and Romania. The agreement was signed for a thirty-year period, which was subsequently extended. This is how the Warsaw Pact Organization came into being.

An agreement that those who signed it will refrain from the threat of using force. And in the event of an armed attack on one of the countries party to the treaty, the remaining parties pledged to help it with all available means, not excluding military force. One of the bloc's objectives was to maintain communist power in Central and Eastern Europe.

The world community understood that the Warsaw Pact Organization became a completely justified and adequate response to the creation of the NATO bloc, which persistently sought to expand its influence in Europe. From that moment on, a confrontation between two military organizations of global scale arose and continued for quite a long time.

The nature and significance of the Warsaw Pact Organization

Within the framework of the Warsaw bloc, there was a special military man who controlled the United Armed Forces. The existence of a military and political union of states provided legal grounds for the participation of Soviet military units in the suppression of the anti-communist rebellion in Hungary and in later events in Czechoslovakia.

The greatest benefit from participation in the Warsaw Pact Organization was the Soviet Union, whose military potential was the basis of the political bloc. The agreement signed in Warsaw actually gave the USSR the opportunity, if necessary, to use the territory of allied countries to base its armed forces without interference. As part of the treaty, Soviet troops were completely legal to station their troops almost in the very heart of Europe.

Later it turned out that there were intractable contradictions within the countries that signed the treaty. Due to internal disagreements, Albania withdrew from the treaty. Romania has openly demonstrated its exceptional position in relation to the bloc more than once. One of the reasons for the disagreement was the desire of the USSR to establish strict control over the armies of other countries included in the bloc.

When the Berlin Wall collapsed and a wave of “velvet” revolutions swept through Central Europe, the military bloc of the socialist countries lost its basis. Formally, the Warsaw Pact Organization ended its existence in July 1991, although in fact it collapsed already at the end of the 80s.