The nato warsaw pact military balance pdf

Examines the state of the natowarsaw pact conventional military balance between 1945 and 1975 as it was perceived at the time, describes the methodology used to arrive at these conclusions. Assessing the natowarsaw pact military balance dtic. The twogermanies, nato, and the warsaw pact wilson center. Force comparison of nato and the warsaw pact, including conventional forces, regional considerations, nuclear deterrence, defence expenditures and military production and technology. Warsaw pact, treaty establishing a mutualdefense organization composed originally of the soviet union and albania, bulgaria, czechoslovakia, east germany, hungary, poland, and romania. See how nato and warsaw pact forces stacked up against each other throughout the cold. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and should not be taken to reflect those of nato or nato member nations. The berlin blockade was the first military confrontation of the cold war which raised the possibility of war in europe, so the western european nations tried to establish an alliance in order to keep the usa in and the ussr out. Category i units are at 75100% strength in manpower and can reach full strength after.

In terms of power balance, the number of troops of the warsaw pact was one million more than nato. Warsaw pact balance of forces carried out by ona under the auspices of national. The twogermanies, nato, and the warsaw pact wilson. It is the first to attempt an analysis of pact campaign plans for the european theaters of military operations and. Also included is information on the sources and methodology of this comparison.

Assessing the conventional balance in europe, 19451975. With a maximum range of 5,000 km, the ss20 could potentially strike any. What is the military balance between the nato nations and those of the warsaw pact. The natowarsaw pact competition in the 1970s and 1980s. A short history of nato it is often said that the north atlantic treaty organization was founded in response to the threat posed by the soviet union. But the price of convincing nato of the military value of the nva and the warsaw pact was a permanent arms race. Warsaw pact signed on may 4th, 1955 in warsaw, poland and in 1991 the warsaw pact was declared disbanded created by the soviets 6 years after nato when west germany was admitted and it started rearming political consultative committee and unified command pact armed forces were responsible for actions committed through warsaw. Pactnato force ratio 14 days after pact mobilization. But it says little about the precise nature of the balance, the principles on which it will be constructed, or its institutional manifestations. Nato and warsaw pact forces in europedata published by the. Examines the state of the nato warsaw pact conventional military balance between 1945 and 1975 as it was perceived at the time, describes the methodology used to arrive at these conclusions.

Comparison of measures of effectivenessindex score ratios 18 5. The numerical balance of forces has moved slowly but steadily in favour of the warsaw pact over. The treaty provided for a unified military command and for the maintenance of soviet. The six divisions of the nva required about 71,000 soldiers, a number the soviets could have sent from the ussr to man the same equipment, perhaps at greater cost but certainly with greater political reliability. Ground forces and the conventional balance in europe. Assessing the nato warsaw pact military balance discusses various assessments of that balance. The soviet and other warsaw pact armed forces have. Assessing the conventional force imbalance in europe. The soviet army can be categorized into three types of combat readiness. Assessing the conventional balance in europe, 19451975 author. Chapter 4 the sovietwarsaw pact ground forces threat to europe. When the united states and the soviet union agreed to rid europe of intermediaterange nuclear weapons, their agreement increased the emphasis on conventional force balancesthus creating anew strains within and between the alliances. Assessing the nato warsaw pact military balance december 1977, u. These evaluations provide much of the basis for determining u.

Natowarsaw pact balance came under increased pressure when moscow decided to replace its aging ss4 and ss5 ballistic missiles all singlewarhead missiles with the triplewarhead ss20 ballistic missile. The warsaw pact and military security in central europe. Balanceofpower theory predicts the recurrent formation of such balances among states. Otan, also called the north atlantic alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between several north american and european states based on the north atlantic treaty that was signed on 4 april 1949 nato constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member. Select nato ground military personnel present in centralnorthern europe, 19912016 1991 1995 2000 2005 2010 2016 992,750 u. Assessing the natowarsaw pact military balance december 1977, u. Keeping the balance of military power between the forces of nato and those of the warsaw pact, of west and east, was of great importance in keeping international peace and stability. Natowarsaw pact conventional force balance participants in the workshop addressed four categories of elements.

This resulted in the countries of western europe and. This nie is the first comprehensive estimate of warsaw pact forces opposite nato since 1971. United states army europe fact sheets, united states. Nato and russian officials responsible for the security of their countries must, of necessity, base policies, plans, programs, postures, and resource commitments on estimates of the other sides military capabilities. Documents in pdf format require the adobe acrobat reader. While the warsaw pact was established as a balance of power or counterweight to nato, there was no direct confrontation between them. For example, there is no consensus about the balance along the crucial central front the border dividing west germany from eastern europe. First, the natowarsaw pact conventional balance in central europe today is shaky but not beyond repair.

The implications of the abolition of the atlantic alliance and the warsaw pact if nato were to be dissolved, its members would lose their principal organization for political and military consultation and cooperation. Natos purpose after the cold war throughout history military alliances have formed to balance either countervailing power or the perceived threat thereof. Instead, the conflict was fought on an ideological basis and in proxy wars. Estimating the specifics of the nato warsaw pact military balance was the focus of much staff work on both sides during the cold war. Any assessment of the military balance between nato and the warsaw pact involves comparison of the strengths of both men and equipment, consideration of. This resulted in the countries of western europe and america forming nato and the soviet union maintained a policy of controlling eastern europe by forming the warsaw pact. The growth of soviet military divisions between 1968 and 1980. Beatrice heuser, warsaw pact military doctrines in the 1970s and 1980s. The formation of the warsaw pact was in some ways a response to the creation of nato, although it did. The warsaw pact was established as a balance of power or counterweight to nato. The collapse of communist rule in eastern europe and the prospect of prompt german unification are rapidly rendering the analytical concept of a nato. It concludes that the pact has an advantage in every category of theater airpower, with the margin widest in interceptors and fighters.

Illustrative underlying assumptions in natowarsaw pact balance assessments 33 7. Overview january1978,andtwocompanion backgroundpapers, air defense. Nato and warsaw pact countries had access to nuclear weapons. Both nato and the warsaw pact led to the expansion of military forces and their integration into the respective blocs. While the spotlight was mainly on the two superpowers, the united states of america and the soviet union, the european and canadian forces. The military balance between nato and the warsaw pact. Redressing the conventionalbalance natos reserve military manpower t w o arguments are advanced in this article. International institute for strategic studies iiss, the military balance 19811982 london. Wa t c a wp n o i t c u d o r t in introduction nato nato in war nato commanders and forces the warsaw pact nuclear deterrent n o i t c u d o r t in after the end of the second world war, the two super powers the soviet union and the united states of america sought to keep the balance of military power by aligning themselves with their respective allies. Here, at a 1989 news conference, russian officials are explaining their calculation that there was now an approximate parity between the opposing military forces.

In fact, the alliances creation was part of a broader effort to serve three purposes. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Part iii, which considers contingencies in which pact forces might be used, was issued as a separate report by the working group in april. Nato stands within striking distance of a highconfidence capacity to defend successfully, but does not yet have one. The warsaw pact and military security in central europe during the cold war article in the journal of slavic military studies 172. The formation of the warsaw pact was in some ways a response to the creation of nato, although it did not occur until six years after the western alliance. The factors are the reliability of military allies, the potential for the use of nuclear weapons, warsaw pact strategy, north atlantic treaty organization nato strategy, operations on. Instead, the conflict was fought on an ideological basis. Recent scholarship on nato and the warsaw pact has gone a long way in unearthing. Military balance and domestic constraints new york.

Part iv estimates pact military reactions to alternative usnato force structures and strategies. The warsaw pact was established as a balance of power or counterweight 14 to nato. While the west welcomed west germany into nato, the soviets established a military. Nato and the warsaw pact history of western civilization ii. Chapter 4 the sovietwarsaw pact ground forces threat to. The natowarsaw pact military competition at the heart of the cold war was also the incubator of a revolution in military affairs rma in europe in the 1970s and 1980s, which predates the betterknown american concept of rmaof the 1990s.

Force comparison 1987 nato and the warsaw pact nato. A comparison of american and soviet weapons technology during the cold war. Cia analysis of the warsaw pact forces cia foia foia. It is the first to attempt an analysis of pact campaign plans for the european theaters of military operations and the first to integrate naval forces into these campaigns. America sought to keep the balance of military power by aligning themselves with their respective allies. Part iv estimates pact military reactions to alternative us nato force structures and strategies. For example, there is no consensus about the balance along the crucial central frontthe border dividing west germany from eastern europe. The armed forces of the pact in the case of any war with the west were under the control of the soviet supreme command. Nato, nato and the warsaw pact force comparisons 1982 brussels. Recent demographic and economic trends present mobilization problems for both the north atlantic treaty organization and the warsaw pact. Founded in 1955, the warsaw pact officially ended in history on 1. The military balance 198687, published by the international institute for strategic studies, computes the balance at 5,299 combat aircraft for the pact and 3,243 for nato helicopters not included. The composite of theater nuclear capabilities now available to the warsaw pact suggests that the balance of nuclear forces has shifted from favor ing the west to favoring the soviet union and its.