= Warsaw Pact = The '''Warsaw Pact''' was a mutual defense international treaty. The organization established by the treaty was formally the '''Warsaw Treaty Organization''', but was commonly referred to by the treaty's name. <> ---- == Composition == The founding members were: * [[Albania/EnverHoxha|Albania]] * [[Bulgaria/TodorZhikov|Bulgaria]] * [[Czechia/AntoninNovotny|Czechoslovakia]] * [[Germany/WalterUlbricht|East Germany]] * [[Hungary/MiklosRakosi|Hungary]] * [[Poland/BoleslawBeirut|Poland]] * [[Romania/GheorgheGheorghiuDej|Romania]] * [[Russia/NikitaKhrushchev|USSR]] Albania left in 1968. ---- == History == The pact was established in 1955. [[Albania/EnverHoxha|Albania]] began withholding support in 1961, and officially abandoned membership in reaction to the invasion of [[Slovakia/AlexanderDubcek|Czechslovakia]]. [[Romania/GheorgheGheorghiuDej|Romania]] also began withholding support in the 1960s but remained a member, and is considered the one full member that was not a Soviet client state. [[Mongolia]] participated as an observer. In part due to a Romanian veto, and in part due to the fallout of the '''Albanian split''' (which then led into the '''Chinese split'''), they did not join. [[China]], [[NorthKorea|North Korea]], and [[Vietnam|North Vietnam]] were all observers. They all left following the aforementioned Chinese split. However, [[Romania/NicolaeCeaușescu|Ceaușescu]] and [[China/MaoZedong|Mao]] maintained strong relations throughout. In 1991, following the dissolution of the [[Russia/Democratization#Russian_Federation|USSR]], the remaining members agreed to terminate the pact. ---- CategoryRicottone