Jul 05, 2017 in an air war over europe, using a small number of f14s to hit fighters with aim54s is a waste of an asset. The study group shall assess the balance of conventional forces in europe between the forces of the north atlantic treaty organization and forces of the warsaw pact and shall submit a report on such assessment to the secretary of defense and the com mittees on armed services of the senate and house of representatives. In addition to the warsaw pact bomber and fighterbomber units, the tactical fighter were also used as a nuclear attack. Following victory and the movement of polish borders these troops and other polish soldiers thought loyal to their soviet overlords were built up into a force which was to form part of the warsaw pact. The warsaw pact was created in reaction to the integration of west germany into nato in 1955 per the london and paris conferences of 1954, but it is also considered to have been motivated by soviet desires to maintain control over military forces in central and eastern europe. The warsaw pact, soviet forces, german army russian tanks. Czechoslovakia and where the mass of warsaw pact ground forces are concentratedbut that they are likely to be overwhelmed by a rapid succession of reinforcing echelons the followon forces arriving at the battle area to exploit weaknesses created by the initial attack.
Principal changes resulting from the reorganization and 6 modernization of a gsfg tank division 5. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content corn ground force exercises o f nato and the i robert d. A comparison of natos pershing ii and ground launched cruise missiles glcm to the warsaw pact s ss4, ss5 and ss20 missiles. Esci chose to produce 16 poses in equal numbers, and when they researched the set they clearly consulted two books osprey elite 5 soviet bloc elite forces and osprey elite 10 warsaw pact ground forces. Military figures military art military history military police military uniforms military drawings warsaw pact soviet army air force uniforms. There was a real wartime scenario where the warsaw pact would attack out of the barracks positions, this would only. Its formation was in part a response to the incorporation of west germany to nato on 9 may 1955. This hypothetical war has been the subject of much analysis, debate and simulation. The air force and the army have just agreed on a new operational concept called joint attack of the second echelon. Cia analysis of the warsaw pact forces this study examines the role of clandestine reporting in cias analysis of the warsaw pact from 1955 to 1985. If a nato warsaw pact conflict occurred, we would expect the soviets within the european theater to.
The scenario, set in the late 1980s, assumed that the forces of the soviet union and the rest of the warsaw pact namely east germany, poland, czechoslovakia and hungarysteamrollered west. Additionally, the army intended to disperse its formations across the battlefield to deny lucrative targets for soviet nuclear weapons. The importance of clandestine reporting this study examines the role of clandestine reporting in cias analysis of the warsaw pact from 1955 to 1985. Planning for operations against denmark summary a substantial body of evidence indicates that, in the event of a ldoruwn aonnadafde nato warsaw pact war, pact planners remain committed to a coordi aifl j 989nated, phased offensive operation against denmark. Treaty of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance. Plans to merge the american, british, and french occupation zones in germany into a west germany republic in the 1950s and 1960s, the relationship between the soviet union and mao zedongs china was weakened by mao zedongs belief that, after stalins death, maos status as the most experienced marxist ruler should make him the leading socialist. Special troops of nva warsaw pact military forces warsaw pact forces draw image see more. Polish army troops would have formed part of the second strategic echelon deployed for an attack on natos allied forces central europe. Parts i and ii, devoted primarily to warsaw pact capabilities and composition, constitute a revision of the first phase report sr js 702 on the warsaw pact threat. Soviet central group of forces cgf czechoslovakia 9. While much has been published on the armed forces of the ussr during the. The warsaw pact threat to nato nssm84 introduction this is the final report of working group 5 of the interagency steering committee for national security study memorandum 84. Oct 4, 2019 view the mod db warsaw pact image warsaw pact forces draw. Reorganization of soviet ground forces in east germany u.
Constraining ground force exercises of nato and the warsaw pact. Ace contains the majority of the nato ground forces and is based at the supreme headquarters allied powers europe shape in belgium. The warsaw treaty organization wto, officially the treaty of friendship, cooperation and. In case of hostilities, its wellequipped formations were intended to be rushed in at a moments notice to support and relieve the firsttier echelon force comprising soviet and warsaw pact units based in czechoslovakia, east germany and poland. Ospreys study of the ground forces of the cold war 19461991. Select nato ground military personnel present in centralnorthern europe, 19912016 1991 1995 2000 2005 2010 2016 992,750 u.
Principal changes resulting from the reorganization and. Cia analysis of the warsaw pact forces cia foia foia. Force comparison of nato and the warsaw pact, including conventional forces, regional considerations, nuclear deterrence, defence expenditures and military production and technology. Treaty of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance warsaw, 14 may 1955 caption. Salvaging the conventional armed forces in europe treaty regime. The soviet union can effectively dominate warsaw pact war 10 ibid. Adding in the forces of european allies, however, reduces moscowts advantage. Warsaw pact forces draw image military artwork, cold. As a result of a directive issued on 16 october 1968, on 24 october 1968 the headquarters of the central group of forces was reestablished, this time for forces solely on czech territory. The assets of the voyenno 74 2019 vozdushnyye sily vvs. From the air force s perspective it is interdiction.
Capabilities of the warsaw pact against na to this paper addresses the effects of the intervention in czechoslo vakia on the disposition and capabilities of warsaw pact forces op posing nato in the central region. Expert insights on a timely policy issue august 2018. The warsaw pact roy rosenzweig center for history and. On 14 may 1955, in warsaw, albania, bulgaria, czechoslovakia, the german democratic republic, hungary, poland, romania and the soviet union sign a treaty of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance, known as the warsaw pact. Operational, institutional, and socioeconomic factors for this are discussed.
In the eighties one of every regiments squadrons was a nuclear bomber squadron. The orders go out to mobilize the red army and to soon be followed by order to mobilize the warsaw pact ground forces. Longer range developments will be examined in the forthcoming nie 111468, soviet and east. While the soviet armed forces are justly regarded as the greatest threat to western europe, nato military planners must consider the strength and the role of the armies of the nonsoviet warsaw pact nswp nations in any future war. The supreme commander of the unified armed forces of the warsaw treaty organization was a post in overall command of the military forces of the warsaw pact. The book is set in 1985 and illustrates the need to strengthen natos defence and what might happen in a future conflict if that were achieved. Assessing the natowarsaw pact military balance globalsecurity. View the mod db warsaw pact image warsaw pact forces draw. Chapter 4 the sovietwarsaw pact ground forces threat to europe. Concentate their initial efforts in central europe, attacking with ground forces organized into five fronts 80 to 90 divisions. Pact nato force ratio 14 days after pact mobilization. In general, the soviet ground forces are kept at a high level of proficiency.
There was a real wartime scenario where the warsaw pact would attack out of the barracks positions, this would only provide nato a 2472 hour notification. Comparison of nato and warsaw pact land forces in europe. This book examines the history, organization and uniforms of. The first surprise already in the introduction is the sheer landpower those nations had in comparison to nato. Group of soviet forces in germany eastern order of battle. Osprey elite 010 warsaw pact ground forces free download as pdf file. Locations provided for ground forces are the peacetime barracks positions and should be a guide to the actual wartime positioning of forces. Bulgaria, czechoslovakia, east germany, hungary, poland, romania, the soviet union and albania who left in 1968.
Hoxha was, therefore, particularly enthusiastic about joining the warsaw pact in. Constraining ground force exercises of nato and the warsaw pact authors. The interesting benifit of this plan from the warsaw pact perspective is that it pitches the more obsolete elements of the warsaw pact against the more obsolete or late arriving elements of nato, whilst the bulk of the more modern soviet and czech assets fall against the british, german and us forces. One of the biggest what ifs of history was a war between the warsaw pact and nato. The soviet union and its warsaw pact allies have only a 1. Soviet military policy in eastern europe must be viewed primarily through this prism of eastwest, warsaw pact nato relations. Therefore, using the f14 against soviet awacs aircraft or tankers or transports is the most. Assessing the conventional force imbalance in europe. From 1955 onwards zhukov pressed to upgrade the equipment for the ground forces, including new apcs.
Current organization of the group ofsoviet forces, 3 germany gsfg 3. This treaty group included the ussr, bulgaria, czechoslovakia, east germany, hungary, poland and romania. East germany, czechoslovakia, poland, bulgaria, hungary and romania. Warsaw pact ground forces gordon rottman download here. The warsaw pact, soviet forces, german army russian. Pactnato force ratio 14 days after pact mobilization.
Armed forces, the ussrs strategic comn charts and tables in the chapters that follow mand structure, command and. Warsaw pact ground forces is, to my knowledge, the only reference for the nonsoviet members of the warsaw pact. Project muse constraining ground force exercises of nato. Furthermore, the supreme commander was also a first deputy minister of defense of the soviet union. In an air war over europe, using a small number of f14s to hit fighters with aim54s is a waste of an asset. Supreme commander of the unified armed forces of the warsaw. Soviet warsaw pact nswp forces of the german democratic republic gdr, poland pva, czechoslovakia cva, rumania rva, hungary uva, and bulgaria bka.
How the warsaw pact planned to win world war three in europe by kyle mizokami last month in the national interest we discussed natos plan for world war iii in europe. The land forces wojska ladowe are a military branch of the armed forces of the republic of poland. This book examines the history, organization and uniforms of the often overlooked ddr, czechoslovak, polish, bulgarian. The warsaw pact could mobilise more reserves, move them forward, and commit them timestaggered in line with its echelon system, an advantage intensified by its geostrategically favourable position. Both services intended to use them liberally against attacking soviet and warsaw pact forces. Arpa order no 1891 3g10 tactical technology r1 088. Illustrative underlying assumptions in natowarsaw pact balance assessments 33 7. Rivalling the size of the united states army, the combined ground forces of the six nonsoviet warsaw pact countries totalled over 775,000 active troops, with. With so many diverse armed forces to cover, one set was never going to do more than provide a taster of the subject. Warsaw pact central front ground forces cold war arc. The soviet western group of forces was essentially the group of soviet forces in germany positioned across the german democratic republic. Nuclear balance by justen galen in armed forces journal international, which expressed the opinion that the warsaw pact has a large advantage over nato for virtually all categories of missile systems. But at the same time, warsaw pact forces should be prepared for a rapid shift of focus deep behind enemy lines that would result in the destruction of enemy capabilities in a short. Chapter 4 the sovietwarsaw pact ground forces threat to.
While much has been published on the armed forces of the ussr during the 1980s, surprisingly little is available on the forces supplied by the other member nations of the warsaw pact. Rivalling the size of the united states army, the combined ground forces of the six nonsoviet warsaw pact countries totalled over 775,000 active troops, with almost two million ground forces reserves. But what were the real capabilities and intentions of the soviet union. Constraining ground force exercises of nato and the. Soviet air forces of the groups of forces in east germany and czechoslovakia and the three western military districts. Warsaw pact ground force campaign in the western tmo 2 2. Both nato and the warsaw pact led to the expansion of military forces and their. These forces would remain temporarily until, as a result of the agreement signed between czechoslovakia. The third world war, written in 1977 by general sir john hackett following his command of northag. 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.
All these elements underlie a shared recognition of a major danger facing nato. Just like any military, the soviet and warsaw pact forces were in a continual state of upgrade and change, discrepancies will occur between various sources of information. The soviet union established itself as a threat to the west at the end of world war ii by its military occupation of eastern european countries and the attempts of its armed proxies to capture. The warsaw pact, 1955 treaty of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance between the peoples republic of albania, the peoples republic of bulgaria, the. Although the ussr may wish to rely more in the 1980s on east european military forces to maintain or increase the level of sovietcontrolled military power in europe, in fact the ussr will have to rely less on east european military forces. In the 1950s and 1960s, us army and air force doctrine for a future war in europe revolved around nuclear weapons.
The aircraftmissile system was designed to take out larger aircraft at a distance. General rogers explains that the goal of followon forces. The warsaw pact, so named because the treaty was signed in warsaw, included the soviet union, albania, poland, romania, hungary, east germany, czechoslovakia, and bulgaria as members. Following the cease of hostilities in the second world war, the soviet military positioned a large number of men and materiel inside eastern germany. This is followed by soviet forces in mongolia and afghanistan and then by the non. The book provides a high level scenario around which to build many an engaging game, it provides the reader with an understanding of the broad scheme of. Review books, the third world war, general j hackett. The warsaw pact was the military complement to the. Warsaw pact forces are also believed to maintain a stockpile of modem offensive chemical weapons, and are trained to use them. The soviet union and seven of its european satellites sign a treaty establishing the warsaw pact, a mutual defense organization that put the soviets in command of the armed forces of the member. The post, which was instituted in 1955 and abolished in 1991, was always held by a soviet. Warsaw pact invasion czechoslovakia in august 1968. The soviet union established itself as a threat to the west at the end of world war ii by its military occupation of eastern european countries and the attempts of its armed proxies to capture greece and south korea.
Total strategic missiles and bombers between 1971 and 1983, the soviet union surpassed nato in several critical measures traditionally used to evaluate the strategic balance. Technologies for natos followon forces attack concept. The parties agree that an unarmed attack against one or more of them in europe or north america shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of themwill assist the party or parties so attacked by takingsuch action as it deems. The warsaw pact reconsidered utrecht university repository. Comparison of measures of effectivenessindex score ratios 18 5. The basic objective is to delay, disrupt, and destroy these followon forces so that natos defenses. In the 1980s, the armys 31 initiatives and airland battle doctrine were similarly focused on closer army and air force cooperation to counter a perceived overmatch in warsaw pact capabilities.
Soviet ground forces have a 4 to 1 advantage over the u. Throughout the cold war the soviets maintained by far the largest airborne forces in the world, and, as in most armies, these enjoyed an elite status, with special equipment and special uniforms including a skyblue beret. The woodrow wilson center has digitized parts of its cold war archive, and include some interesting translations of soviet forces documents. Legro warsaw pact i confidence and security building measures csbms have long been the neglected stepchild of serious arms control analysis. In fact, however, this new concept is not as new as it might seem. Western europe hostage to their conventional forces in the context of neutralized u. The warsaw pact in transition which the east europeans acceded although that architecture gave the soviet general staff executive authority for wartime decisionmaking and command generation of warsaw pact forces, it relied upon national general staffs to pass orders therefore, the pact command and control structure was, and re. The warsaw pact, 1955 treaty of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance between the peoples republic of albania, the peoples republic of bulgaria, the hungarian peoples republic, the german democratic republic, the polish peoples republic, the rumanian peoples republic, the union of soviet socialist republics, and. Nato forces are arranged by sectors running north to south with most of their ground strength found in the central army group centag in southern germany. View the mod db warsaw pact image warsaw pact forces draw number 4 is commandants service. National air forces of east germany, czechoslovakia, and poland. Locations provided for ground forces are the peacetime barracks positions and should be a guide to the actual. When in 1955 west germany, with its own independent army, joined nato, moscow countered by establishing the warsaw pact. They currently contain some 77,000 active personnel and form many components of the european union and nato deployments around the world.