CHARLESMESSENGER I I ARMIES OF WORLD WARS Archbishop Mitty High School Media Center 5000 mt\y Way 1*^- I ^ CHARIES MESSINGER, o\sc^w THEM[[ ITARYPRHN^ Pi'-'iih' 'rt>v.jiPublishers 1: -. ' : v. V'ork Thiseditionispublishedby TheMihtaryPress, distributedby CrownPublishers Inc. Producedby BisonBooks Corp. 17 SherwoodPlace Greenwich, CT06830 USA Copyright £ 1984Bison Books Corp. sAltlorreidghitnsareresterriveevda.lNsyostpeamrtoorfttrhainsspmuibtltiecdatinioannmyafyorbmebryeparnoydumceeadn,s electronic,mechanical,photocopyingorotherwise,without hrst obtainingwrittenpermissionofthecopyrightowner. Printed inHongKong ISBN0-517-42501-7 hgfedcba CONTENTS 239C NATO AND THE WARSAW PAQ 7 1 . 2. THE ARMIES LINE UP 27 3. NUCLEAR, CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL 47 ARMOR 4. 67 5. INFANTRY 87 6. ARTILLERY 109 7. SPECIAL TO TASK 129 8. AIR SUPPORT 143 9. ENGINEERS 163 10. LOGISTICS 179 11. THE OUTCOME? 190 INDEX 191 gm - ^ usl>6rde lanuTGermanBordernearFulda. ; r % •*^- \ , i»» ^^V % y » I NATO AND THE WARSAW 1 . PACT May 1945 saw the Soviet Union and the Western AlHes standing triumphant on the soil of defeated Nazi Germany. At Potsdam in July of that year, Premier Stalin, President Truman and Prime Minis- ter Attlee agreed on the dismemberment ofGermany into Allied zones of occupation, while at the same time the United Nations was set up at the San Francisco Conference in an attempt to prevent future armed conflict. There was, however, growing concern amongtheWesternAllies overthe Soviettreatmentof the territories ofEastern Europe. Civil War in Greece and China also pointed to the expansionist threat of communism. Then, in March 1946, Winston Chur- chill made his famous speech at Fulton, Missouri, in whichhespokeof'anironcurtain [that] has descended across the continent'-and called for concerted Anglo- American action to prevent the tide of communism flowing further westward. Attempts throughout 1946 to bring about a formal peacewhich would end World War II resulted in drawn out haggling between the Soviet Union and her wartime allies. When agreement was finally reached at the Paris Conference and treaties signed in February 1947, Russian domination over Eastern fEruormopaevwearsy seaerelmyinsgtlagyectohnefiRrumsesdi.anTsheinftahcte,irtozoo,nethaotf ABGbeeolrvomewa:n:yTM'hasersfRhienaialclhTssiuttraorge,onfBdYeeurrgl.oisnloanvi7aM.ay1945,thedayof occupation refused to cooperate with the West also Right:EisenhowerandChurchill,ChristmasDay1943.