Question

Discuss the back ground for the formation of the Warsaw Pact of 4 May, 1955.

Answer 1

1. The Soviet Union and its Eastern European allies formed the Warsaw Pact on 4th May, 1955, in reaction to the growing power of the Western bloc, especially since NATO was formed and has grown.
2. The direct cause was when West Germany joined NATO in 1955, which made the Soviet Union very nervous. The USSR perceived this as a threat to its safety and power in Eastern Europe.
3. As a response, the Soviet Union tried to strengthen its power over countries in Eastern Europe and make a military alliance to counter NATO.
4. There were also growing Cold War tensions, Europe being split up, and the need for the Soviet Union to keep a single command over the armed forces of its satellite states.
5. Poland, East Germany, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Albania, and the Soviet Union were all part of the Warsaw Pact.
6. The deal was a major step towards making the Cold War more violent and showed how far apart the East and West were becoming.