Warsaw Treaty Organization

The Warsaw Treaty Organization, commonly known as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual-defense alliance established on May 14, 1955, primarily by the Soviet Union and its Eastern European satellite states. Its formation was a direct response to West Germany joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The pact provided for a unified military command and allowed for the stationing of Soviet troops in member countries, strengthening Soviet influence. The organization became defunct following the democratic revolutions of 1989 and was formally dissolved on July 1, 1991. Most former member states have since joined NATO.12