Warsaw Pact by Hamad Al Jabir
IntroductionCommunism is an economic system where wealth is distributed evenly to everybody. In a communist society, there would be no private property, and everybody would be equal in wealth and social status. That's the theory behind communism. The reality is that communist countries tend to be undemocratic, concentrating power in the hands of very few people, or even one dictator.
The Cold War was a 46 year long period of tension between the Democratic Western Bloc and the Communist Eastern Bloc of Europe. The Western Bloc was lead by the United States, and the Eastern Bloc was lead by the Soviet Union. These two countries became known as “superpowers” as they have had some kind of influence in the world, militarily, or economically, or culturally, or technologically, or politically. I believe that they have had both Militarily and Politically, as they both had great military and political influence. |
Flag of the Cold War
Flag of the Cold War. Digital image. Tropico Wikia. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2016. <http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/tropico/images/1/12/Cold-war-flag.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140608082329>. |
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Warsaw PactThe Warsaw Pact was a Military Defense Treaty established by the Soviet Union and other several Eastern European Nations including Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. It was signed in the Polish Capital, Warsaw, on the 14th of May, 1955. It’s main goal was to establish a defence system against any outside forces, and was under the control of the Soviet Military Commander, Marshal Ivan S. Konev. It’s main enemy was the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which was another military alliance between Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and finally, the United States. Western Germany was controlled by the Americans and was in the need to be remilitarized. For this to happen, NATO needed to make the country part of their alliance. Although, since it's part of the North Atlantic bloc, there is a chance of the rise of a new war that creates a threat to national security of the member states. The Soviets saw this as a direct threat, and so, established the Warsaw Pact with it's neighboring and invaded countries.
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AlliancesEurope was divided into the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The division of Germany into Western Germany controlled by the Americans, and Eastern Germany controlled by the Soviets, has had a massive impact in Europe. It caused the spread of communism by the Soviet Union to many countries in Eastern Europe. Eastern Germany was now a communist nation, and to remain communist, the Soviet Union built a wall around the border of Eastern Germany so that they can make sure that no one gets in and no one gets out. This wall is called the Berlin Wall. The Americans reacted to this by thinking that the Soviets are up to no good in Eastern Europe, and are beginning to spread communism around the world. The Soviets trapped millions of Germans in the East and stopped all trade on ground. This meant that Eastern Germans did not have the access to food. Soviets also cut off electricity and cut off Radio Satellites, Eastern Germany was like a dead soul. Although, there was one thing that the Soviets could not stop; the trade by air. Americans flew thousands of planes supplied with food. The Soviets were furious with this, and couldn’t do anything to stop it.
The Soviet Union has gained control of Eastern Europe from World War II. This allowed the Soviets to spread communism to the countries around the region and gain control. The Americans and several other Western European countries disagreed with communist governments, and so formed an alliance called The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to stop the spread of communism in Eastern Europe and to the world, and to help supply citizens in communist nations with food, clothes and shelter. The Soviets saw this as a direct threat, and so, established the Warsaw Pact with it's neighboring, now-communist, countries. As the Soviet Union took control of Eastern Europe, the spread of Communism was rising dramatically. Many nations turned Communist, and member states of NATO feared that it would then spread to Asia and the rest of the world. NATO was a military alliance between the United States, Canada, and various Western European Countries.
Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, said that due to Soviet Oppression, an Iron Curtain had descended across Europe. There was a split between the East of Europe and the West of Europe due to the differences between government control. President Harry S. Truman began the U.S. policy of containment to stop the spread of communism. Containment included three different approaches:
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Cold War Alliances
"Warsaw Pact." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2016. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Red represents members of the Warsaw Pact; Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania and the Soviet Union. Blue represents members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States. But in all fairness, the Soviet Union had good reason to distrust the West. The United States have invented and used the extremely destructive Atom Bomb at the end of World War II. The Soviets feared that the American would us this new weapon to control the rest of the world, and so, established the Warsaw Pact to protect itself, its allies with Eastern Europe, and communism.
Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain Wall. Digital image. Aetherforce. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016. <http://aetherforce.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Berlin_10-704x400.jpg>. |
Expansion of NATO and the Warsaw Pact
Digital image. Mrkscoldwarb. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2016. <https://mrkscoldwarb.wikispaces.com/file/view/nato_warsaw_map.png/224498122/759x332/nato_warsaw_map.png>.
Digital image. Mrkscoldwarb. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2016. <https://mrkscoldwarb.wikispaces.com/file/view/nato_warsaw_map.png/224498122/759x332/nato_warsaw_map.png>.
The Warsaw Pact has led to increasing tensions between its countries during the Cold War, as by 1955, both the Soviet Union and the United States had opposite alliances that were both very dangerous. Both of the alliances were suggesting ways to influence the world and spread their beliefs of ideal governments. This also allowed the Soviet Union to send troops in Eastern Europe, which was very dangerous, as these troops had the chance of attacking Western European countries which was very dangerous. The Warsaw Pact allowed the Soviet Union to be thought of as a militaristic threat and a symbol of purity in Europe.
End of the Warsaw Pact
During the late 1980s, anti communist movements throughout Eastern Europe began to break the Warsaw Pact. East Germany left the Warsaw Pact to reunite with West Germany and unify Germany once again in 1990. Poland and Czechoslovakia indicated their desire to withdraw from the pact. The Soviet Union faced these protests and suffered from the decline of their economy and unstable political situation. March 1991, the Soviet Military Commanders let go of their control of the Warsaw Pact forces. After a few months, the pact's Political Consultative Committee have met for the final time in Prague and announced that the Warsaw Pact was over.
Warsaw Pact: TodayAfter about 36 years, the Warsaw Pact came to an end. The Alliance between the Soviet Union and Eastern European Countries comes to an end. Today, many members of the Warsaw Pact have joined NATO, including Poland. Nato is expanding throughout Europe, and many countries want to join. One of the countries is Ukraine. Since Ukraine is near Russia, the Russians are seeing this as a threat, and NATO is seeing Russia as a threat. So both sides are still against each other, and have not made any alliances and friendships.
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NATO: TodayToday, NATO is still fighting to peace and security in the world. It gives democratic values and is engaged in the peaceful resolution.
NATO in Afghanistan NATO led the United Nations (UN) International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to conduct security operation and help build up Afghan security forces from August 2003 to December 2014. It's mission is to provide security and make sure that the nation is not be effected by Terrorists. |
Works Cited
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Digital image. Mrkscoldwarb. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2016. <https://mrkscoldwarb.wikispaces.com/file/view/nato_warsaw_map.png/224498122/759x332/nato_warsaw_map.png>.
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Digital image. Mrkscoldwarb. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2016. <https://mrkscoldwarb.wikispaces.com/file/view/nato_warsaw_map.png/224498122/759x332/nato_warsaw_map.png>.
History.com Staff. "Formation of NATO and Warsaw Pact." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2010. Web. 22 Oct. 2016. <http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/formation-of-nato-and-warsaw-pact>.
Mastny, Vojtech, and Malcolm Byrne. "Chapter 1." A Cardboard Castle? An Inside History of the Warsaw Pact, 1955-1991. New York: Central European UP, 2005. N. pag. Print.
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"Warsaw Treaty (1955)." Credo Reference. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2016. <http://search.credoreference.com/content/topic/warsaw_pact>.