Warsaw Pact

Definition

The Warsaw Pact was a military alliance of communist states in Eastern Europe led by the Soviet Union, established in 1955 as a counterbalance to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). It symbolized the geopolitical and military rivalry between the Eastern Bloc and the Western Bloc during the Cold War.

Related terms

Cold War: A period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and its allies and the United States and its allies, roughly from 1947 to 1991, characterized by threats, propaganda, and other measures short of open warfare.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization): A military alliance formed in 1949 by countries in North America and Western Europe committed to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party.

Eastern Bloc: A term referring to the group of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, including the Soviet Union, under Soviet influence during the Cold War