NATO-Warsaw Pact Force Mobilization

Recent demographic and economic trends present mobilization problems for both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Warsaw Pact. When the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to rid Europe of intermediate-range nuclear weapons, their agreement increased the emphasis on conventional force balances—thus creating anew strains within and between the alliances. These developments make the time ripe for a comprehensive study of NATO and Warsaw Pact capabilities to mobilize their conventional forces. This book draws upon essays prepared for the NATO-Warsaw Pact conference. In these essays, U.S. and European specialists discuss developments and vulnerabilities in the blocs. They address four issues 1 mobilization and reinforcement, 2 developments in front-line states, 3 communications and transportation problems, and 4 difficulties on the flanks. These individual studies and the book as a whole represent the most current and thorough examination of NATO-Warsaw Pact capabilities available today.