May 14, 1955Reputable sourceWell documented
The Warsaw Pact
On the timeline · around May 14, 1955 ·
What happened
In response to West Germany's admission to NATO, the Soviet Union and its Eastern European satellites signed the Warsaw Treaty, creating a rival military alliance. Though nominally a pact of equals, its decisions were controlled by Moscow.
Why it matters
The Warsaw Pact formalized the Soviet bloc and completed the division of Europe into two armed camps that would face each other for the next 35 years.