Geopolitičke i geostrateške značajke evropske zone Varšavskog ugovora
Geopolitical and Geostrategic Characteristics of the European zone of the Warsaw Treaty

Summary/Abstract: This essay continues, by its substance, the theme dealing with the military-bloc systems in the zone of Rimland. which partially have already been considered by the author (cf. R. Pavić: Geopolitical Characteristics of the Military Alliance of the NATO Pact«, Politička misao, Zagreb, 1968). the authors in the beginning emphasize the problem of the European military- bloc separation and importance of peace in Europe for peace in the world. Con¬sideration of the geostrategic aspects of the Warsaw Treaty zone is the most "im¬portant part of the essay. The problems of tampon zones have been specially ela¬borated (historically and from the contemporary point of view), the problems of direct boundary contacts, depth of war-fields, participation of this military system in all parts of Europe except on the Mediterranean part (except, of course, concer¬ning the Soviet fleet) as well as the characteristics of the continental compactness and continental orientation of the pact. In the Soviet tampon zone some industrial raw material parts are considerably exposed to the West, and speaking about the USSR, even the positions of ethnical minorities which arc in the boundary zones, are unfavourable. Special problem is due to the position in the surroundings wherein there are some most important parts of the Soviet Heartland, not only on the part of the Western military blocs but also on the part of the P. R. of China. The author further tries to present comparatively military forces of the NATO pact and the Warsaw Treaty emphasizing many differences in other characteristics of these two organizations; speaking about the Warsaw Treaty, there have been emphasized some advantages of the greatness of space, natural factors (relief, climate, rivers, passable and nonpassable natural parts). Important part of the essay consists also of the judgement of the geostrategical characteristics of particular boundary sectors of the Warsaw Treaty zone (the Antics, Middle European and South sector, problem of Albany and Romany), then operation! directions and defaults of the boundary sectors, and the like, have also been considered. One part of the essay deals with the Warsaw Treaty zone also as the source of the largest territorial extent of the Soviet interest sphere. At the end there been added also conclusions.

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