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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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East Germany
Index
In spite of external appearances, the creation of the NVA did
not imply that the Soviet Union was surrendering its authority
over East Germany. Soviet control was subtle but nonetheless
pervasive: from its inception, the NVA was fully integrated into
the Warsaw Pact
(see Appendix C).
East Germany assumed complete
responsibility for its military security within its own borders.
External security was ensured by membership in the Warsaw Pact.
Presumably, East European concerns about a new German army were
laid to rest by assurances that East German troops operating
outside their own borders would be under joint command.
The integration of East Germany into the Warsaw Pact lent the
state a certain amount of internationally recognized legitimacy
and made it difficult for the Soviet Union to negotiate the
country out of existence in an agreement with the West.
Ultimately, the Soviet Union recognized this fact by signing the
bilateral Treaty on Mutual Assistance and Cooperation with East
Germany on June 12, 1964. This treaty completed the process of
integrating East Germany into the network that bound Eastern
Europe to the Soviet Union.
Data as of July 1987
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