Osprey Elite 10 : Warsaw Pact Ground Forces

While much has been published on the armed forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] during the eighties, little is available on the forces which were provided by the other member nations of the Warsaw Pact [WP]. These forces should not be taken lightly, as they represented a substantial military potential. The combined ground forces of the six non-Soviet Warsaw Pact [NSWP] countries of the time totalled over 775,000 active troops, rivalling the United States' 781,000-man Active Army. They also maintained almost two million ground forces reserves. These figures do not include the air forces, naval forces, and the many internal security and border forces. This book provides information on the historical background, origins, strength, organisation, order of battle, terms of service, reserves and mobilisation, internal security forces, and combat effectiveness of the forces of the German Democratic Republic, Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, People's Republic of Poland, People's Republic of Bulgaria, People's Republic of Hungary, and Socialist Republic of Romania toward the end of the cold war. Text by Gordon L. Rottman with illustrations by Ron Volstad.

Contents

• Introduction
• Organisation of the Warsaw Pact
• German Democratic Republic
• Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
• People's Republic of Poland
• People's Republic of Bulgaria
• People's Republic of Hungary
• Socialist Republic of Romania
• The Plates