Current Affairs

Issue

The alleged reason for Russian invasion of Ukraine was east-ward expansion of NATO towards countries of Warsaw pact.

 

Details

• Warsaw pact was a collective defence treaty signed by member countries of Soviet Union and other eastern European nations.

• It was the Soviet version of NATO, the collective security treaty of Western powers led by the United States of America.

• Member states included Soviet Union, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland and Romania.

 

About

• It was officially known as Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance and was signed in 1955.

• They emphasized non-interference in the internal affairs of its members and said decision would be made collectively.

 

Power blocs

• The Warsaw pact states constituted the eastern bloc influenced by USSR while NATO states represented western bloc led by USA.

• The ideological differences between the two blocs started an arms race, which culminated in the Cold war era.

 

End of Warsaw pact

• The dissolution of Warsaw pact was announced in 1991. It was followed by fall of communist governments in Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Romania etc.

• Shortly after the fallout, the Soviet Union was dissolved and smaller independent republics emerged.

 

Reasons for fall of Warsaw pact

• Economic slowdown in east European nations gave rise to popular uprisings. It was followed by political changes in the member states.

• The political changes were followed by ideological changes, making it virtually impossible to adhere to the treaty.

 

Post dissolution

• East Germany joined NATO following its reunification with the West. Many ex-Warsaw pact countries like Poland have now become members of NATO.

• The independent republics of Soviet Union formed the Collective Security Treaty Organization.