Warsaw Pact: Creation, Structure and Effectiveness - Cold War DOCUMENTARY

Our historical documentary series on the history of the Cold War continues with a video on the creation of the Warsaw Pact - the anti-NATO union created under the tutelage of the USSR and its main alliance in the Cold War.
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#ColdWar #WarsawPact #NATO

[@marcusgabriel1993]

"In 1954, Moscow even offered to join NATO." US: You aren't supposed to do that.

[@bigmedge]

The Americans & west Europeans weren't stupid , they saw right through this Soviet charade. A blind man could see that the Russkis were trying to sneak their fox into the European henhouse , in other words to occupy Western Europe by placating & pacifying them with a peace treaty to make for an easier invasion - the same way the Germans placated & pacified the Russians with the Molotov Ribbentrop pact right before invading them in WWII.

[@uegvdczuVF]

@@bigmedge West invaded Soviet Union. After the war that killed considerable part of Soviet population, the west pardoned Nazis, reinstated them in the West German Army and than made a defensive alliance with newly rearmed Germany. Stop projecting.

[@bigmedge]

Ultima Ratio Regum you wrote “west invaded Soviet Union”. Right after that, I stopped reading b/c I pay 0 attention to blatant historical revisionists like you

[@lastresort3159]

@@uegvdczuVF Unlike in Soviet-occupied Europe, the western allies didn't consider simply being a fascist/nazi a crime. There was nothing to pardon.

[@nerowulfee9210]

@@bigmedge Yeah, imagine subverting West Europe! Only USA allowed to do that.

[@kgbfiles5713]

About Rokossovsky: it was interesting to watch footage from Stalin's funeral. Marshall arrived as a foreign guest, was dressed in a Polish uniform and saluted in the Polish manner, with two fingers.

[@MrPopek7900]

He was Polish Minister of National Defence at this time

[@vladconstantinminea]

@@MrPopek7900 He also had Polish origins (probably the reason he was send to Poland in the first place)

[@woongotube]

" arrived as a foreign guest," -- hahaha Soviets had sense of humor

[@АнтонС-д8к]

​@Thomas Sankara Belorussians are also russians, that's why modern poles hates their great ancestor. Not all, but many. They think he wasn't a pole at all. Pity fools.

[@paulkellman5477]

As touched on in the video, in '49 Stalin ordered Rokossovsky to resign and lead/control the Polish Military and be a low key Stalinist catspaw in Communist Polish Governance. He became Polish MinDef and Marshall of Poland, and installed senior Soviet officers as Commanders or 'advisors' throughout the Polish military. He was also Deputy Chairman of the Polish Council of Ministers by like 51 or 52. At the time of Stalin's Death I think he would have been Marshall of Poland, Minister of Defense AND Deputy Chairman of the Polish Council of Ministers so despite his history with the Red Army he was definitely classified as a foreign dignitary at the time, and ironically enough, at Stalin's own order years before, basically. He stayed in Poland until after the '56 near uprisings, when he returned the USSR and assumed his old ranks. (He'd actually originally gone there to lobby for a Red Army intervention against Polish dissidence and after the Poles and the Soviets talked their way out he wasn't welcome back in Poland, more or less.) After he got back to the USSR he was I wanna say a Deputy Minister of Defense for a little while and I believe commanded a TVD before ending up at that traditional pasture role for old Soviet War Horses, the Chief Inspector of the MoD.

[@ffffuchs]

One of my relatives participated in the invasion of Czechoslovakia as part of the Hungarian People's Army. He was part of the 8th Motorised division which was stationed in the western border region, thus was the best equipped and probably the only division on par with soviet formations. He told me they were quickly mobilised and placed on the hilly-foresty border with Czechslovaks (the army HQ doubted they could execute a crossing of the Danube in such numbers without significant loss of lifes or at best, loss of prestige due to slowness), he himself was assigned to the Levice garrison. Overall the division occupied over 10 thousand square kilometres in Southern Slovakia. It was a rather uneventful few months, the locals (many of them hungarians) showcased passive resistance at first but since there wasn't a language border by the end of it things got somewhat more jovial and warmer as they didn't comit any attrocities and the czech troops themselves willingly gave up arms. They also helped out in things like harvesting the grain. The division received a lukewarm welcome home parade but generally they didn't talk about the affair afterwards since it was so awkard to say the least.

[@krystalcz9251]

Invading another land must be pleasent...I see

[@generalripper1964]

Is your relative still alive? We were told during a US Army school that the Soviets kept their radios at home and strung wire to use Field phones to communicate. NATO was taken by surprise with the swiftness of the take over. Could he confirm that?

[@MikeSmith-hy5rc]

@@frankib8620 I am sorry to inform you that major powers to be think otherwise

[@gmilitaru]

@@frankib8620 Slovakia was part of the Hungarian Kingdom. However, less than 10% of the Slovakian nationals are Hungarian. They were a minority even in 1918 when the Hungarian Kingdom collapsed again (after being sort of resuscitated in 1867) and Czechoslovakia was created.

[@patrickblanchette4337]

Franzur Cool story dude!

[@Mark-yy2py]

Brings back memories of my military career, spending 70-80s in West Germany.

[@SS-hw1ou]

Did you throw Coke bottle on the other side? Just in case

[@TheEmoSyndicate]

Thanks Boomer❤

[@bobs_toys]

@@TheEmoSyndicate ok, boomer thanker 😛 But seriously. Thanks. I'm in Hong Kong. It's a pity there's no civilised force doing here what you did there.

[@TheEmoSyndicate]

@@bobs_toys got to Thank Mark for his Service yo👌 hes Awesome

[@Mark-yy2py]

TheEmoSyndicate Thank you for the compliment. I was just doing my share to keep western Europe free.

[@kgbfiles5713]

In the early 70s, the Western press wrote that the organization’s headquarters would be moved from Moscow to Lviv for better coordination of the USSR with its Eastern European allies. Allegedly a large complex of bunkers resistant to a nuclear explosion was built for these purposes in Lviv and its environs. But in the end, the Soviet leadership abandoned this idea.

[@R3GARnator]

Wannabe Cheyenne Mountain.

[@Paciat]

Hitler also build headquarters closer to the front for both western and eastern invasion. He even build one called Werwolf in Ukraine. Thats how important Caucasian oil was for the IIIrd Reich.

[@jurisprudens]

Эти бункеры все еще там? ;)

[@luisfelipegoncalves4977]

Quite interesting you pointed out the Independence of the NATO countries in relation to the US compared to the dependence of the Warsaw Pact countries to the USSR. It kinda gets reflected on the armament programs where NATO enjoyed a much larger freedom for the development of firearms, tanks and even warplanes while the Warsaw Pact armies were wholly equipped with Soviet equipment, with some of their on adaptations of course, but that's just it. Well nice work as always.

[@martinsriber7760]

Czechoslovakia used plenty of its own equipment, not just adaptations of Soviet one.

[@luisfelipegoncalves4977]

@@martinsriber7760 Thanks for pointing that out. I simply forgot, but it was the exception to the rule since the Czechs already had a strong industrial basis from the Austrian rule period.

[@cmanlovespancakes]

Yugoslavia also used their own armament and even bought western arms.

[@lastresort3159]

@@cmanlovespancakes because they weren't part of the pact or Soviet satellite.

[@richardcostello360]

Poland had its own designs too.....as well as Czechoslovakia and East German

[@Jokkkkke]

There are some interesting historical analyses on Romania’s role in the Warsaw Pact and how it used it as a bargaining chip against the hegemony of the Soviet Union, particularly in regards to Soviet attempts to include Mongolia in the Pact

[@kalyptro123]

Warsaw Pact, the only military alliance that attacked itself

[@noco7243]

The CSTO would like to have a word.

[@SP4D3-s69]

@@noco7243 Like father, like son

[@thomasbest8599]

I don’t know . Turkey and Greece fought each other in Cyprus

[@clarkeustacio9388]

Like greece and turkey

[@jordandino417]

@@thomasbest8599Cyprus isn’t even a part of NATO.. :/

[@Martyn-1337]

Can you also made a video about SEATO. Its creation, efficiency and disolve and possibility of resurgence in today's time

[@axelpatrickb.pingol3228]

Resurgence? As long as Sabah exist, SEATO will not...

[@TheCol111]

@trevo1987 Whats SEATO got to do with Brexit?

[@MunSka]

Bruh only 2 of the SEATO countries are actually in South East Asia no way ASEAN will say yes to that

[@arnabj31]

Pakistan and Iran was member of Seato and we know who they are allied with today

[@christjoecilledaruca9579]

South East Asia treaty organization

[@kalle911]

Looks like I'll have to go play Wargame: Red Dragon again.

[@nocturnalcb]

Lol

[@Marinealver]

Gunship on Commodore 64, last area was Europe and the adversary was listed as "pact" (pact infantry, pact bunker, pact HQ) First was Vietnam with NVA (even though Apache wasn't made yet), then South America against the FSLN (where I tend to stop as difficulty begun to spike and I had to create a new pilot on the roster as my last one was KIA). The Middle East was against Arab (a product of the 90s as in modern days this would have been a bit too touchy). Such a great game at the time. Heck I remember on the night missions just turning the monitor to monochrome green screen to act as if I was wearing NVGs.

[@muratduman3319]

I can't stop watching your videos. You really provide the atmosphere. That is the cold war!

[@gre3nishsinx0Rgold4]

After mentioning NATO and the Warsaw pact, I would love to see a video of a little known turbulent treaty. The SEATO pact.

[@stanleyqc2244]

Western military Intelligence reports were alarmed at the efficacy and numbers of the Bulgarian People's Army. I don't know who said that they were "not a big factor", but to Greece and Turkey they certainly were....

[@-72-17]

As a bulgarian i can back this up.

[@frederikchristiansen8121]

greece and turkey are useless

[@IrishCarney]

One thing of interest is that East Germany had no army when it joined the Pact at its inception in May 1955, only a kind of militarized police force. Not until March 1956 - nearly a year later - did East Germany finally and formally have actual armed forces such as an army, navy, and air forces. Propaganda portrayed this as a response to the West Germans founding their own military several months earlier in November 1955, but of course the East Germans had been laying the groundwork for years, using ex Na zi officers to train the paramilitary police, just as the West Germans had been doing.

[@PeoplesProtector]

Could I propose an idea for a video? The fascinating history of the "Italian Communist Party". It was the biggest Communist Party in Western Europe and at one point, it was the 3rd largest Communist Party in the world, apart from the USSR and China, with 2.6 million members in the 40's and it achieved very notable success in a democratic system, as it was the 2nd biggest party in Italy from 1946 to its eventual dissolution in 1991.

[@Thaumazo83]

Excellent proposal! The PCI (Italian Communist Party) was also one of the few Communist parties to have fully adopted parliamentary democracy. It was instrumental to the drafting of the current Constitution of Italy and was a key player in the Italian democratic life until its dissolution in, I think, 1989.

[@kalyka98]

It was the second party because it was a two party system lmao

[@Thaumazo83]

@@kalyka98 Completely false. Italy 1946 - 1992 was not a two-party system. The Socialist Party was also big (more than 10% of the votes in the 1980s), and there were also other parties like the Republicans, the Liberals and the Social-Democrats. Italians love fragmentation.

[@PeoplesProtector]

@@Thaumazo83 True. There were several other parties that participated in coalitions with the Christian Democrats. Those being, the Socialist Party, the Republicans, the Liberals, Proletarian Democracy etc. Fascinating though, is that the PCI never made it into government, because the DC did litterally everything in their power to stay...in power. Italy, like Spain and Ireland, has one of the most fascinating political histories. And a video on the history of the PCI, would be awesome!

[@Thaumazo83]

@@PeoplesProtector DC (Christian Democrat) President Aldo Moro wanted to create a gov't with the PCI in the second part of the 1970s, let's say that he was stopped from doing so (for lack of a better expression and in order not to open the can of worms of the "Caso Moro").

[@kyrgyzsanjar]

This channel rocks! My favorite breakfast time entertainment!

[@lixautofix142]

The last time I was this early, the Warsaw Pact still exists.

[@lixautofix142]

@@alevm1710 hahah. I edited the comment. My mistake

[@seebass7]

"shot down like a lonely KZbin host at a bar" lolololol

[@---uf2zl]

Lmao I almost missed that

[@maasle]

*shut

[@TheColdWarTV]

*shot. :)

[@lupen_rein]

I feel like there is a lot of pain in that lign 😂

[@robertshonk518]

In the cold war context, I heard "KZbin" as "U2", as in the spy plane that was shot down. "You Tube" makes more sense.

[@restaurantattheendofthegalaxy]

Good video! Love all your background paraphernalia.

[@aznluvr7]

Great video, I love your channel's presentation. Call me shallow but you look credible and your background is just impeccable. There are so many neck-bearded, mom's basement dwellers that want me to take them seriously as a historian. I'm very happy that all of your guys can be taken seriously and have great information.

[@Novusod]

By the time the Prague Spring was happening the prevailing view was that the USSR and Warsaw pact was winning the cold war. Communism was expanding and entrenching itself at the same time the US was getting its ass kicked in Vietnam. America's NATO allies were at best "fair weather friends" who would turn tail at the first sign of conflict. The Warsaw Pact proved they would answer to Moscow's call if asked to fight. One thing is very clear. If you would have asked someone in 1968 who was winning the cold war it would has assuredly been the USSR. This would have been the prevailing view until the mid '80s.

[@mariusceausu112]

False

[@Khneefer]

Rokossowski was soviet citizen, but polish nationality.

[@nemeczek67]

One day in 1939 my family woke up and they were Soviet citizens of Polish nationality.

[@TheColdWarTV]

Rokossovsky was born in Partition Poland to a Polish father and Belorussian mother. He joined the Russian Imperial army in 1914 then the Red Army in 1917/18 and remained in the service of the Soviet Union for the rest of his life. While he might be considered ethnically Polish, he was a Soviet man.

[@maciej5640]

@@TheColdWarTV "In Russia, they say I'm a Pole, in Poland they call me Russian". Quote from the man himself.

[@IrishCarney]

Sorry for duplicating your comment - I should have checked first

[@IrishCarney]

@@TheColdWarTV That's true but one of Stalin's first mass purges was against ethnic Poles, and Rokossovsky was caught up in that, imprisoned and tortured. Later Poles might not have appreciated this given his role in crushing anti-Communists in their country but he paid a heavy price in his life at the hands of the Soviets for his Polish origins.

[@brokenbridge6316]

Been waiting a while for this video to come out. Always wanted to know more about the Warsaw Pact countries. Now I do. My thanks to all those who made this video a reality.

[@nathanpiazza9644]

I don't know what to say... I love the topics of your videos, but I always find myself zoning out halfway through. I don't know it's the speaking speed (slow?) or the delivery, but I think it might be something to look into. Still liking and sharing and subscribed lol.

[@creatoruser736]

Must have been hard for Czechoslovakia when the same event that crushed their freedom attempt was used by Albania and Romania to assert themselves.

[@martinsriber7760]

Romania gets plus points for its non-participation and Albania isn't well known.

[@aranos6269]

@@martinsriber7760 unfortunately for Albanians and Romanians their dictators operated harsher and more inhumane idiotic regimes than Brezhnev.

[@olmaned3795]

in 2018 the city of Prague had some events related to the events in 1968. They had a nice banner close to the Romanian embassy that wrote: you didn't want to visit us in 1968 so please come visit us today. - So I think they have positive feeling towards that.

[@richardides2035]

Not really, Nicolae Ceaușescu become really popular in Czechoslovakia for his glorious speech, we liked him here for it. (none cared about Albania...)

[@SlimShady-cz5oj]

@@richardides2035 Sure... who cares about the most strategic point in the Western Balkans, Aegean and Adriatic (Geo strategy)... Ethnic, cultural, religious differences from the rest of the Balkans AND Europe, that makes the country a buffer zone. The West didn't care about Albania because they knew that Hoxha would not properly align with USSR and China. As much as the country had communist inclination, it still remained a wild card for every actor. Albania is the Israel of the Balkans buddy ;) Also: coldwarhistoryblog.com/f/disaster-in-albania-the-cias-first-covert-mission

[@Youngimperialist]

"Crush the bell button" lol.

[@EduardoEscarez]

Crush like the Soviets crushed their comrades when they had "ideas" 😬

[@RonaldReaganRocks1]

I crushed it with ruthless brutality.

[@akashchoubey3207]

Nuke the bell button

[@hughjass1044]

Yeah, stupid idea!! Now that so many people have crushed it, I can't get the damned thing to ring!

[@akashchoubey3207]

@@hughjass1044 no, it's cold war, you are supposed to detonate it

[@taresefa3989]

Great video

[@estherb4115]

Thanks for the videos. Thanks for the subtitles in Spanish. Thanks a million

[@AB8511]

Little correction - there was no militarily significant presence soviet troops in czechoslovakia until 1968. Otherwise good video.

[@martinrolecek8837]

@@hugh-jasole my entire family was there and there were no presence of soviet or Warsaw pact troops in Czechoslovakia before 1968 other than occasional training exercises or checkups on maintaining the tech they provided after WW2. Czechoslovakia wasn't fully part of Warsaw pact until 1968, we were assigned to soviets by west against our wishes (kinda usual think for west to do), yet cooperated more with west. This pissed of Warsaw pact nations (especially Poles and Russians) to the point of invasion. Majority of troops involved in 1968 invasion were Polish. single russian unit participated in invasion by dropping paratroopers to occupy airports and cripple Czechoslovakia air force. But video is very nice western alteration of actual history.

[@DOMINNATRIX]

I appreciate your video :) Greeting from Slovakia.

[@PhillyPhanVinny]

Very good video guys. Keep up the great work!

[@RonaldReaganRocks1]

"Rejected like a lonely KZbin host at a bar." Love it.

[@nemeczek67]

I read an interview with a pilot who had been trained to drop an atomic bomb on Copenhagen.

[@Brogustus]

Could we have a link? Sounds interesting

[@nemeczek67]

@@Brogustus Probably not much use for you anyway: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4bWnWluf6h6Y6M&feature=emb_logo tetnoregionu.pl/ksiazka-ktora-nie-potrzebuje-promocji-uff-nie-spalilem-kopenhagi/ This guy published a book "Uff, nie spaliłem Kopenhagi” ("Thank God I did not burn Copenhagen"). The Polish Army was to take Denmark very quickly, so I guess the atomic bomb was supposed to soften the Danes.

[@richardides2035]

It was just one of many Battle plans that existed in hypothetical scenario, but was never used, having a battle plan does not necessarily mean aggression. Czechoslovakia would take Austria right? We had such plans to just be prepared, we did not hate or want to attack Austria, it was just plan to have because they were the only non-communist nation we got borders with.

[@frederikchristiansen8121]

as a danish, I can say that this isn't true Denmark wasn't a threat to anyone

[@StickWithTrigger]

Imagine if The soviet union joined NATO lmao Soviet Union:Now tell us exactly where all your troops are stationed, military bases, nukes , navies pretty please comrades?

[@specialsnowflake9172]

West could have asked the same, no?

[@StickWithTrigger]

Special Snowflake True

[@youronlinegirlfriend5508]

Ill show you mine of you show me yours

[@akashchoubey3207]

Lol that's right

[@emperorgrieferus106]

@Connor Lonergan Now that's the scenario we all would like to see.

[@Gameflyer001]

On the heels of this, perhaps next week's video can be about the NAM (Non-Aligned Movement)?

[@IrishCarney]

While it's certainly defensible to question whether the Pact was legitimate, loyal, and would have been unified and effective against NATO, I think calling it redundant in light of the bilateral treaties each member already had with the USSR misses the point. The bilateral agreements did not obligate, say, Bulgaria, to come to the defense of, say, East Germany, or Poland to come to the defense of Hungary, etc. What the Warsaw Pact changed and brought to the table was in matching the same kind of "all for one and one for all" collective security guarantee that NATO had. Sure, you could credibly say that since the members were Soviet satellites that Moscow could simply have dragooned them into fighting on behalf of each other anyway, perhaps by each "spontaneously volunteering" to come to the aid of whichever one of their socialist brethren had been "attacked by imperialism", but with the Pact in place these commitments were publicly and legally laid down in advance, with some greater-than-zero propaganda value both for internal and external consumption (including as a deterrent for the latter).

[@ArmaBulgarian]

On the topic of Bulgaria, it was one of the countries least associated with the USSR in terms of satellite-master relations. Even during the times of the Warsaw Pact, there was no presence of soviet troops on bulgarian soil, possibly because they knew we like them a lot, and would not resist being a communist state nearly as much, so there was no need to exercise any real control over us; we would just do it ourselves and reap the benefits of not being watched by Moscow all the time. Now, how do I know that we liked the Soviets? Well, we constantly felt ready to be a republic of the USSR, and the leaders announced this readiness multiple times. Of course, it never happened because we did not border them. But it goes to show you that we did not need soviet interference, because we are too culturally tied to them and like them too much. That meant there was no need for intervention, and we got relative freedom. In short, out of all the Warsaw Pact original member signatories, if each country got an uprising, and they coincided with how much people dislike the USSR, Bulgaria would be the very last place to get one...or it might not get it at all.

[@pikminlord343]

fascinating

[@furrywarriors]

Khrushchev just wanted friends :(

[@basichistory]

Excellent video

[@davidmcleod6032]

We most certainly did not train as if Ivan was a paper tiger. Desert Storm just months after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact was thanks to forty years of training to fight Ivan.

[@IrishCarney]

Rokossovsky was a Soviet national but he was of Polish ethnicity, born in Warsaw, and I believe he was given Polish citizenship when he was installed as Polish Defense Minister - he definitely at least wore Polish instead of Soviet uniform from that point and his active rank of Marshal while in that job was in the Polish "People's" Army not the Soviet Army. I'm not saying the Soviets were super respectful of their satellites' sovereignty or dignity, or that all Poles were thrilled by his appointment, but without that information it sounds worse than it was.

[@ryhanzfx1641]

I really need the picture of that thumbnail, it looks so cool!

[@СахерСалама]

Please make video about Baghdad pact

[@tomaszskowronski1406]

4:53 You were just few countries short from bursting into Yakko's World. We were on the verge of greatness!

[@Dan19870]

Just wondering how many episodes it's going to take before they touch on French Indochina. They could start an entire new channel about that quagmire.

[@crabyman3555]

well lets just say this : before Warsaw pact Eastern Europe is ''do as Moscow says or we invade and kill you, and Moscow controls all of your military as well by the way so don't you even try to resist'', after is formed Warsaw pact it's the same but now with a fancy name over it. Plus I love the fact that Soviets invaded 2 of their own Warsaw pact ''allies'' (Hungary, Czechoslovakia), and in 1980's also threaten Poland (another Warsaw pact member), so great ''allience'' there. Attacked 2 of its own members and threatened a 3rd one in 35 year timeframe

[@windwaker8985]

craby man the US also had plns to invade Italy if the Communist party won. The cold war was a disgraceful time where both sides accepted brutal dictators in exchange for support.

[@limtus4839]

very interesting thank you

[@xianghouzinjianghu5001]

“Liberated by the Soviet Union” is like saying Hitler saved the Jews.

[@tinymouse1781]

I like how there is a cheburashka toy in the background. :)

[@iaminvincible408]

I love your videos!

[@可爱包-c4v]

The Soviet Union once wrote a song for the Warsaw Pact, with China in the lyrics, but China did not join, so the Soviet Union replaced China with someone else. It should be pointed out that China has not joined the two most important organizations of the Soviet Union. After the death of the Soviet Union, China forced poor Russia to join her SCO.

[@Paris-xv9sj]

As Always, very good video, thanks !

[@Rohilla313]

Hi Dave. I hope you plan on covering the Kennedy assassination soon. Good work btw, keep it up!

[@iancuvlad7368]

Wait...USSR wanted to join NATO?What a plot twist.

[@specialsnowflake9172]

Putin also entertained the idea.

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

Iancu Vlad they are in 🇺🇳

[@martinrolecek8837]

Russia tried after fall of Soviet Union. In 1996 Russia officially applied and USA response was, quote: "Never!! You are our enemy and we will eventually destroy you!" Madeleine Albright (VP of USA at the time) called the head of NATO retarded imbecile for his response

[@nazirahmadrazzaqi903]

Thank you so much. Please make videos on SENTO and SEATO.

[@andraslibal]

Twilight Struggle: Warsaw Pact is a 3 ops card that can very efficiently shore up Soviet influence by placing 5 influence points, not more than 2 in Eastern European countries OR it can remove all US influence from four countries in Eastern Europe. This card basically prevents the US from putting a lot of influence into Eastern Europe before this card was played and is removed from the game. As a Soviet I only play the event if I really must to prevent a very bad Europe scoring or when I can seriously take out a few US infiltrations in late game like a 4 op Finland, Austria even a torn Berlin Wall in Eastern Germany or a John Paul II + Solidarity in Poland ... or dangerous Independent Reds ops points. As an American I always play the event to get it out of the way and prepare for turning Eastern Europe around, also for making the NATO event possible preventing coups but more importantly brush wars against Italy and supercharging the Special Relationship card That is always a nice threat. As an American player I prefer to have 1-2 influence points in Eastern Europe when the card is played just to make the choice for the Soviet a more agonising one.

[@98gabee]

Have you considered, or are you considering making a series of videos regarding, latin america; latin american countries like cuba, nicaragua or argentina and chile in the context of the dictatorships great work, love the channel, keep up the education !!!! :)

[@alessandromorter2242]

Article 5 stipulates an attack on a members territory. That’s why Russia can shoot down Turkish planes that are in Syria without causing any major NATO reaction.

[@---uf2zl]

And why Argentina could attack the Falklands, India could take Goa and the Algerians could wage their wars without NATO involvement. I get it now.

[@alessandromorter2242]

Bengali - that’s actually a good point, Argentina did attack a member state in its territory, however American interests were more focused in maintaining that regime.

[@alessandromorter2242]

Stephen Jenkins how interesting! You learn something every day!

[@MaziarYousefi]

2:27 K.K. Rokossovsky was Polish, Here is why: Rokossovsky was born in Warsaw, his father was the inspector of the Warsaw Railways. The Rokossovsky family were members of the Polish nobility (Oksza coat of arms) His mother was Belarussian. Rokossovsky was imprisoned and tortured during purges for the exact same reason: Being Polish (among minor false charges, if you were foreign-born or nobility chance of NKVD knocking on your door was higher). Later he bitterly said: "In Russia, they say I'm a Pole, in Poland, they call me Russian" So, he was Polish, born in Warsaw form, a Polish father and a Belarussian mother, and was a of a noble Polish family.

[@cebispicis]

please cover about the formation of Malaysia. i think that was a significant event during the Cold War too already subscribed to this channel, this Cold War topic is my fetish

[@anzaca1]

2:00 NATO could've argued that the nation of "Germany" didn't exist at the time. West Germany was a different nation.

[@johnphillips1683]

5:00 to 5:40 or thereabouts. Why's Willy Brandt in footage while the signing of the Warsaw Pact is being talked about?

[@bostil1974]

I thought the problem was my cellphone. I even restarted the video again

[@MrAlexkyra]

You say that apart from the Soviets, only the East German and Polish militaries were considered to be serious threats by NATO, but what's the source for this information? I'm curious to find out about the relative strengths of Warsaw Pact members, but most articles focus on comparing the Warsaw Pact with NATO.

[@Knutwolf]

The flag of Norway was featured at 1:20, but was the one country you failed to mention. 🇳🇴

[@crimsonhalo13]

1:15 It feels so weird to see the old Canadian flag. :)

[@DrogoBaggins987]

Paper tiger or not when I was a child the words Warsaw Pact were frightening.

[@richardides2035]

Only Czechoslovakia had like 200000 soldiers (yep, we could afford it somehow) , Poland like 440,000 Hungary 100,000 and so on, nowaday we are joke xDD

[@GenocideWesterners]

@@richardides2035 And USSR had 5,400,000 soldiers.

[@abcdedfg8340]

@@GenocideWesterners Conscripts are cheaper than volunteers, but volunteers tend to be more skilled, can use more advanced equipment, and motivated. That's why the military balance during the cold war was actually quite close. Just look at the Arab israeli conflicts, motivation to preserve israel made all the difference(politics aside). Also soviet gear like tanks tended to emphasize crew survival less than western gear... we saw how that played out in chechnya, russian tanks were death traps, but American tanks in iraq took similar hits and crews were generally better off. We are very fortunate it ended due to economic and social factors though. WW3 would have been apocalyptic for Europe at a minimum.

[@varisleek3360]

4:07 was not expecting to feel

[@milkagem]

Wait, are you narrating the Kings and Generals podcast?😯

[@TheColdWarTV]

Same guy, yes

[@spacemarinechaplain9367]

5:50 that’ll be real awkward in a few years.

[@gilbertplays]

Try to make a video about SEATO from it's a declaration to its dissolution.

[@skamazbg5675]

The warsaw pact 💪.

[@Game_Hero]

12:23

[@TheEmoSyndicate]

Bulgarian Vibes. I sense it.

[@skamazbg5675]

@@TheEmoSyndicate good guessing.

[@RonaldReaganRocks1]

I crushed the subscribe bell with ruthless brutality.

[@devyn.]

I love how at the beginning one of the things representing america is a hamburger.

[@lotusturbochallenge1652]

Could you create a video about the Cambridge 5?

[@thagrifster594]

How about a video on Yugoslavia post World War II? Thx great channel

[@Stakan79]

I agree

[@tbo2307]

Norway is a founding member of NATO.

[@roisingtommy]

@@rb2964 About 80% are pro-NATO in Norway.

[@jozef_chocholacek]

@@rb2964 si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses.

[@wtfbuddy1]

So True - and still with us, thank you

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

T BO uk

[@Brian6587]

I never knew the USSR offered to join NATO in 1954! Incredibly interesting. I can't help but wonder if they were sincere. I can understand why the proposal was looked at with skepticism but one wonders if there was an opportunity here. It's very interesting as I believe Russia offered to join NATO again after the dissolution of the USSR. I can't help but wonder about the missed opportunities for peace. I feel some mistakes were made with some of our foreign policy decisions in the West after the USSR was dissolved. Consequences of which we see playing out today. There were so many opportunities for new relations after the USSR broke apart. One wonders though how an alternative history would have played out had different decisions been made. This isn't to condone that skepticism of the USSR came from understandable places but sometimes peace requires being the one to make the first move. 68 years after 1954 and we are still on the brink. Like your videos!

[@scottkrater2131]

The only goal of Russia was destruction of the NATO alliance, making them the most powerful military power on the continent. They never had any real desire to be part of an organization Europeans came up with to keep the Germans down and the Russians out.

[@slightlyfavored4528]

I crushed the like button just like Soviet troops crushed Hungarian revolution and Prague spring.

[@lsanca4609]

Why the censorship between 5:20 and 7:30 of the video?

[@miguelb.655]

Does anybody know what the type of Gasmask the standing soldier at the left of the thumbmail uses???

[@richardides2035]

What I can't understand is how could we (CzechoSlovakia) maintain an army of 200000 active soldiers. (that is so expansive to imagine) Now we got like CR: 18000 Soldiers SR 13000 xDD

[@vladislavchvojka292]

We've got Approx 32000 troops in regular army and approx 5000 reservists actually... ;)

[@elisekehle8520]

Can you do a video on all the ways the People's Democracies were different from the Soviet Union? Both the good and the bad- like the DDR's support of LGBT people, Romania's support of the US' war on Vietnam and embrace of christian extremism against women's rights, different responses to western cultural influence, the evolution of state-sponsored music and art, etc?

[@zeus-odinchiefs6737]

Soviet Union: Hey guys!!!! Can I join your crew and be friends? NATO: Fuck Off!!! Soviet Union: (Cries) Alright I'm making my satellites as my friends. Eastern Europe: Wait What the Fuck??????

[@jurtra9090]

The song that is used in this video reminds me of Freeman Guerilla Warfare

[@janm2473]

This was just excellent. Simple to understand and presented professionally and succinctly. Nice touch... that old television. :)

[@dirkbonesteel]

"Liberated by the Soviet Union" is a oxymoron

[@konstantinkelekhsaev302]

American democracy is a oxymoron

[@SnkHetz]

fascist pig

[@konstantinkelekhsaev302]

@ What Do Expert Say on these Institutes Of Democracy ? 1. Electoral College time.com/4354908/richard-dawkins-electoral-college/ 2. Voter Suppression www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/07/poll-prri-voter-suppression/565355/ edition.cnn.com/2018/09/12/politics/voting-rights-federal-commission-election/index.html 3. Gerrymandering 4. Laws are made for the Rich to benefit www.minnpost.com/eric-black-ink/2015/05/disturbing-data-rich-and-powerful-get-their-policies-adopted-even-if-opposed/ medium.com/@mariusjora/how-our-law-favors-the-rich-and-punishes-the-poor-36fa223ea4eb www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/15/tax-change-coronavirus-stimulus-act-millionaires-billionaires

[@patrickblanchette4337]

NATO > Warsaw Pact.

[@googleminus1442]

@Martin P. True democracy>USA>any warsaw pact nation

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

Patrick Blanchette no

[@ivanserov1846]

Then why you were always afraid that we would reach the English Channel? That our tanks would level Paris to the ground.

[@frederikchristiansen8121]

@@louisbeerreviews8964 uhm yes any day

[@KartoMan]

the West (NATO) also had its problems France's withdrawal from NATO's MILITARY (non-political) organization The struggle of two NATO members, Turkey and Greece for Cyprus

[@igorriabchenko3512]

2:31 Rokossovsky was of polish descent and was fluent in polish language, as far as I know.

[@TheColdWarTV]

Rokossovsky was born in Partition Poland to a Polish father and Belorussian mother. He joined the Russian Imperial army in 1914 then the Red Army in 1917/18 and remained in the service of the Soviet Union for the rest of his life. While he might be considered ethnically Polish, he was a Soviet man.

[@rusoviettovarich9221]

The aircraft the Russians gave the Warsaw Pact members had a fuel capacity that made it impossible for the pact pilots flying east to strike Moscow rather then the designated targets to the west. Russians were well aware of the 'feelings' the eastern Europeans (especially the Poles) had towards them.

[@mayena]

Does anyone knows if this channel did a video of Nikita Khrushchev to the United States (15-27/9/1959)?. The locastions he visited was Washington (District of Columbia), Beltsville, Camp David (Maryland), Hyde Park, New York City (New York), Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose (California), Ames, Coon Rapids, Des Moines (Iowa), Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania).

[@TheColdWarTV]

this channel has not yet done anything of Khrushchev's visit to the US.

[@mayena]

@@TheColdWarTV They should do and the aftermath of Gary Powers U-2 incident (1/5/1960).

[@kden9772]

“The two major protagonists,” you mean the protagonist and antagonist comrade?

[@stevekaczynski3793]

Ceausescu did not allow Romania to take part in sending troops to suppress the "Prague Spring". Recalling the events of late 1989, they say no good deed goes unpunished...

[@alhusin2010]

Please anyone Whats the name of the music at the end of the video????

[@cezardan01]

What did that poor bell button ever do to you? Now not only are you asking us to oppress it, but also to crush it? Don't you think that's a little bit mean? :P

[@teekey1754]

Rokossosky was a Pole in Soviet army.

[@ilikedota5]

Were the flags correct at 1:13? Did that include later countries? I'm unsure if that's accurate.. but maybe I'm wrong.

[@jacek8889]

What's the song name in the last minute of the video?

[@yiyeungwong]

What'e that background music from 12:20 onwards?