The Warsaw Pact, officially known as the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance, was signed on May 14, 1955, in Warsaw, Poland, by eight Communist countries. This military alliance was primarily a response to the inclusion of West Germany into NATO, which was perceived as a direct threat by the Soviet Union and its allies. The signatory nations included the People's Republic of Poland, the Hungarian People's Republic, Czechoslovakia, the Romanian People's Republic, the People's Republic of Bulgaria, the People's Socialist Republic of Albania, and the German Democratic Republic, with the Soviet Union at the forefront of the initiative.

This agreement aimed to enhance the security and military cooperation of the member states against perceived Western aggression. It provided a framework for mutual defense, meaning that an attack against one member would be considered an attack against all. The establishment of the Warsaw Pact marked the formalization of the military dimensions of the Eastern Bloc and intensified the ideological, geopolitical, and military standoff between the Eastern and Western blocs during the Cold War. The treaty included provisions for military cooperation, joint exercises, and the establishment of a unified command structure under Soviet control.

The Warsaw Pact’s implications were profound, as it institutionalized the division of Europe and solidified the opposition to NATO. Over the years, it also became a tool for the Soviet Union to exert influence over Eastern Europe and to suppress dissent within its member states. The alliance lasted until the end of the Cold War, highlighting the strategic dynamics and alliances that defined the mid-20th century.