Download Czechoslovak Army in Structure of Warsaw Pact 1955 to 1968 File

History and Tradition of
the Army of the Czech Republic
Czechoslovak Army in Structure of Warsaw Pact
1955 to 1989
Content
• 1) Context of establishing of N.A.T.O. and
Warsaw Pact
• 2) Main milestones of Cold War
• 3) Czechoslovak army in structures of Warsaw
Pact
Origins of Cold War I
• Term Cold War = worsening of mutual relations of
U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. and of Western and Soviet Block
to the edge of war, respectively
– Mutual relations varied from crisis into détente
(easing of tension, literally relaxation)
– Lasted from 1946/1947 to 1986/1989
• On 5 March 1946 Winston Churchill speech in
university in Fulton (Iron Curtain Speech)
Origins of Cold War II
• Truman Doctrine
– On 12 March 1947 U.S. president Harry Truman asked for
help for Greece and Turkey: both country were
endangered by U.S.S.R.
– First intervention of U.S. into European affairs
• Marshall Plan, also European Recovery Programme (E.R.P.)
– Economic help to European countries
– U.S.S.R. refused to join E.R.P., also Czechoslovakia and
Poland
Origins of Cold War III
• During Cold War enormous armament of both blocks, new
types of weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical, and
biological) and also increase of number of conventional
weapons and staff
• Formation of world international military organizations
(N.A.T.O., Warsaw Pact; C.E.N.T.O., ANZUS, ANZUK etc.)
• Support of allies in so called Third World, military
interventions, intervention into inner issues, esp. In Middle
East, Africa, and Latin America
Superpowers I
• Term for U.S.A. and U.S.S.R.
• Both victorious countries in Second World Word with no other
competitor
– In comparison: U.S.S.R. had more than 22 mil square km and
167 mil inhabitants, U.S.A. more than 8 mil square km and ca.
135 mil in., whereas United Kingdom 0,2 mil square km and
ca. 47 mil in., France 0,5 mil square km and ca. 42 mil in.
• U.S.S.R. totalitarian regime (Stalinism), repression and
physical elimination of opponents
• U.S.A. democratic country, but anti-Communist hysteria
(McCarthyism)
Superpowers II
• U.S.A. most powerful economy in the world,
nearly one half (!) of world industrial
production, nuclear weapon monopoly (until
1949)
• U.S.S.R. serious demages due to Second World
War, huge human losses, but leader of world
Communist movement = Communists in all
European and Asian countries
Sovietization of Czechoslovak Army I
• After February 1948 Sovietisation of Czechoslovak army
• Personal changes
– Minister of National Defence Ludvík Svoboda
dismissed, reasons: was not able to secure realization
of demands of Soviet General Staff,
• New minister became Alexej Čepička
– Immediate implementation of Soviet urges,
implementation of Soviet codes, regulations, and even
Soviet uniform
Sovietization of Czechoslovak Army II
• After 1950 instrument of power of Communist regime,
entirely under command of Communist Party, not highest
Czechoslovakian authorities (government, parliament; !)
• Personal changes in officer corps: in 1954 in army 75 %
new officers, i.e. military men, who became officers after
February 1948, but only one quarter had GSCE exams/A
level that was condition for being officer
• In 1953 Czechoslovak army misused during repression of
civil disorder
Warsaw Pact
• Established 1955 in response that (Western) Germany jointed
NATO
• Members of Warsaw Pact
– U.S.S.R., Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, (Eastern)
Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania
• In 1957 Sputnik 1, first artificial satellite: threat of use of
nuclear weapon all over the world
• When compared to N.A.T.O. no dissemination, in 1968 Albania
left Warsaw Pact
N.A.T.O.
• Established on 4 April 1949, originally only North
Atlantic countries, U.S. reluctant to invite Italy
(Mediterranean state and former enemy in Second
World War)
• In 1957 end of U.S. nuclear superiority, urge to
maintain large number of soldiers in Europe,
especially in (Western) Germany
– 330 000 U.S., 56 000 British, and 50 000 French
soldiers and contingents of Canada, Belgium, and
Netherland
Cuban Missile Crisis
• In January 1959 victory of revolution in Cuba: Fidel
Castro, Ernesto Che Guevara
• Since beginning of 1960s Castro orient its policy towards
alliance with U.S.S.R. due to U.S. embargo
• U.S.S.R. commend operation Anadyr, in Cuba installed
nuclear weapons
• In October 1962 U.S. U-2 airplane detected nuclear
weapons, threat to U.S.A. = peak of mutual crisis, both
blocks in edge of war
Prague Spring and Occupation of
1968
• Prague Spring = term for liberalization of Czechoslovak
Communist regime in 1968
– Revision of Czechoslovak military doctrine
• But pretext for Soviet occupation
• In night from 20th to 21st August 1968 Czechoslovakia
occupied by countries of Warsaw Pact
• New purges in Czechoslovak army
Comparison of Armed Forces of
both Cold War Blocks
• Data to January 1989
• Number of men
– N.A.T.O.
3 660 200
– W.P. (for Warsaw Pact) 3 573 100
• Number of weapons and machinery
– Tanks: N.A.T.O. 30 690, W.P. 59 470 (other more in Siberia)
– Combat vehicles: N.A.T.O. 46 900, W.P. 70 330
– Guns: N.A.T.O. 57 560, W.P. 71 560
Second Cold War
• Term for first half of 1980s
• After Ronald Reagan became president increased
military budget and commenced Strategic Defense
Initiative (so called Star Wars) to force the U.S.S.R. to
increase military budget too and to exhaust Soviet bloc in
field of economy
• Increase of tension in mutual relations
– End of 1979 Afghanistan campaign, 1982 Falkland
War, 1983 Sakhalin incident, 1983 failure of
disarmament conference
End of Cold War I
• In March 1985 entering of Mikhail Gorbachev on leading post
of U.S.S.R.
– Immediate change in U.S. – U.S.S.R. relations, first personal
meeting between M. Gorbachev and R. Reagan in 1985 in
Geneva; agreement on decrees of number of strategic
weapons
– Next meeting in 1986 in Reykjavík
– Changes in relations confirmed in 1987 during Washington
meeting and agreement of termination of all middle range
weapons
End of Cold War II
• In mid May 1988 U.S.S.R. started to withdrawal its
army form Afghanistan
• Symbolic meeting of M. Gorbachev and George Bush
in Malta in December 1989
– Cold War as period from Yalta (Big Three
Conference during Second World War) to Malta
• During second half of 1989 disintegration of Soviet
Block = N.A..TO. victory in Cold War
Summary
• After 1945 most powerful countries in the world were U.S.A.
and U.S.S.R. that in fact had impact on whole world order
– Bilateral System/Cold War
• Despite enormous armament and awaiting of war no direct
clash of both blocks, Cold War is held by indirect means:
– Limited conflicts in disputed areas (Korea), propaganda
offensive, economic competition including Space Race etc.
• During Cold War Czechoslovak army only executor of Soviet
commands, did not protect Czechoslovak people!