WesWorld

Preamble
The Governments of the High Contracting Parties, desirous of strengthening the cause of peace and the political and economic relations between them, announce successful conclusion of negotiations between the above mentioned Parties. This treaty is not directed against any power. The high contracting parties have confidence that the conclusion of this treaty will reinforce the ramparts of peace in Europe.

PART 1 - MUTUAL DEFENSE

ARTICLE I
The High Contracting Parties mutually undertake to afford one another military and other assistance and support of all kinds in war, including military action, against any power which attacks a high contracting party.

ARTICLE II
The high contracting parties undertake not to enter into any negotiations with the aggressor or any other government associated with the aggressor that does not clearly renounce all aggression intentions, and not to negotiate or conclude, except by mutual consent, any armistice or peace treaty with aggressor or any other State associated with her in acts of aggression as stated in Article I.

ARTICLE III
The high contracting parties declare their desire to work with other like-minded States in adopting proposals for common action to preserve peace within Europe and abroad.

ARTICLE IV
Should any of the High Contracting Parties become involved in hostilities with a Third Party, with the Third Party been the aggressor, the other High Contracting Party will at once give to the contracting party so involved in hostilities all military and other support and assistance in his power short of direct military action. The other High Contracting Party will also refrain from lending their support to this Third Party.

ARTICLE V
The High Contracting Parties, having regard to the interests of security of each of them in Europe, agree to work together in close and friendly collaboration for the security and economic prosperity in Europe and abroad.

ARTICLE VI
The High Contracting Parties agree to render one another all possible economic assistance and to reduce commercial barriers between them.

ARTICLE VII
Each Contracting Party undertakes not to conclude any alliance and not to take part in any coalition directed against another High Contracting Party.

PART 2 - TERRITORIAL CLAUSES

ARTICLE I
The Contracting Parties agree not to seek, except by mutual consent, territorial adjustments against other High Contracting Parties, but to seek peaceful diplomatic resolution of any and all claims.

ARTICLE II
The Contracting Parties agree to render mutual cooperation in regards to border crossings to permit secure and easy trade and travel between them.

PART 3 - TRADE

ARTICLE I
The Contracting Powers agree to reduce customs duties between their nations by 40 percent.

ARTICLE II
The High Contracting Parties shall agree to share technological information mutually beneficial to both nations.

ARTICLE III
The High Contracting Parties undertake to work together on joint infrastructure projects to permit the free transit of trade and travel in Eastern Europe.

ARTICLE IIIA
The High Contracting Parties, together with like-minded neighboring states, undertake to construct a unified network of dual-carriageway toll-free highways based upon the German model.

PART 4 - NON-COMMERCIAL SERVICES

ARTICLE I
The High Contracting Parties agree to protect civilian shipping of the other nation in international waters adjacent to their own territorial waters.

ARTICLE II
The High Contracting Parties will initiate a program of officer exchanges between military colleges in their countries.

PART 5 - OTHER ARTICLES

ARTICLE I
Should other like-minded states desire to join this treaty organization, a vote of the current members must be taken, with a unanimous vote to adopt new members.

ARTICLE II
The High Contracting Parties agree to make amendments as necessary by means of unanimous vote.

PART 6 - RATIFICATION

ARTICLE I
The present Treaty is subject to ratification in the shortest possible time and instruments of ratification shall be exchanged prior to January 1, 1940, with a duration of twenty years. This Treaty will renew itself for another twenty years if no further agreements are reached between the High Contracting Party.

It comes into force immediately on the exchange of instruments of ratification, or on January 1st, 1940, whichever date comes first.

SIGNATURES:
- Tsar Boris III __________________ (Bulgaria)
- Georgi Ivanov Kyoseivanov________ (Bulgaria)
- George II, King of the Hellenes____ (Greece)
- Ioannis Metaxas (PM) ___________ (Greece)
- Tadeusz Mital__________________ (Poland)
- King Carol II___________________ (Romania)
- Duca (PM)____________________ (Romania)
- Kemal Ataturk_________________ (Turkey)
- Crown Prince Petar_____________ (Yugoslavia)
- Nikola Karasec (PM)_____________ (Yugoslavia)

In witness whereof the above-named plenipotentiaries have signed the present treaty and have affixed thereto their seals.

(Some signatures still pending.)

I saw Warsaw Pact and wondered what Russia did in my absence.

Is this replacing the PRJ alliance?

It's a merger of the PRJ and T-B alliances, as well as Greece.

Hungary is probebly starting to feel really hemmed in.

Quoted

Originally posted by TexanCowboy
Hungary is probebly starting to feel really hemmed in.

Not more than they were at the beginning of 1939.

I'll be curious to see how Turkey and Greece were convinced to become allies....

Quoted

Originally posted by Hrolf Hakonson
I'll be curious to see how Turkey and Greece were convinced to become allies....

Smart politicians on both sides, I feel.

Let's look at it from the Turkish angle. Throughout the 1930s they've felt like they're standing in the path of an oncoming truck called Indian hegemony. Neighbors to the east (Persia) and south (Hedjaz) have crumpled. Their leader, Kemal Ataturk, in OTL strongly pushed for an end to Greco-Turkish rivalry and, indeed, secured an alliance in the mid-1930s. Turkey sees uncertainty east, and wants to ensure it's not next to fall underneath the juggernaut. That means ending less life-threatening feuds and solidifying ties with friends. It also means continuing to develop an economic base capable of letting them resist the "inevitable onslaught".

Now from the Greek standpoint, first the PRJ and then the TBA treaties put them in a bind. All of their neighbors are likely to want to take a slice from the Greek pie that was baked by the Greek armed forces. The PRJ treaty makes it very difficult for Greece to preempt Yugoslavia - they can be supplied via Romania with Romanian and Polish weaponry, and the sizable and increasingly-modern Polish and Romanian armies can make it a bloodbath. The TBA is another nightmare: if Greece needs to fight Turkey, then they risk fighting a divided front against Bulgaria. If they need to preempt Bulgaria, then they put their holdings in Asia Minor at risk from Turkey. Though Greeks are notoriously staunch in defensive warfare, they are not unbeatable. However, with the Warsaw Pact they can use Part 2 Article I to full advantage, and by joining, disperse the alliances potentially threatening them, and take a firm hand in the creation of the new alliance being born. As the preeminent naval power of the Warsaw Pact, and the strongest current (though not strongest potential economy, Greece's opinion would carry significant weight for other Warsaw Pact nations.

Not quite sure where to post this, but since it's mentioned in the treaty and relevant, I'll post it here.

[SIZE=3]The Autostrada Project[/SIZE]
Map linked due to size
These routes represent the initial commitment of Warsaw Pact member states through 1950. Dashed lines indicate possible expansions, including possible international connections. These roads represent only the international network, and nothing prohibits a country from building its own internal highways.

Note: Atlantis, Byzantium, and Turkey will be bridging the Bosporus as part of this effort. Until the completion of that bridge, ferries will be used.

Part One. Introduction
- A. The Committee of Engineers shall be composed of engineers appointed by the member states to oversee design standards and methodology. This committee shall select a chief engineer from their number to oversee the various areas of work.
- B. The Committee of Engineers will be responsible for approving design exceptions, approving final routes, and overseeing the work of the regional/national engineers.
- C. The regional/national engineers shall be responsible for sections of motorway construction up to and including the national level. The regional/national engineers shall maintain correspondence with the Committee of Engineers and with each other, and meet on a quarterly basis to work out problems and suggest alternate solutions and methodology.
- D. The Committee of Engineers shall hire persons as appropriate to oversee signage, maintenance, surveying, entrances and exits, and other positions as might be deemed appropriate and necessary. The Committee shall likewise select an administrator to track and publish all plans, requirements and specifications, and distribute them as necessary to construction contractors.

Part Two. Survey and Geotechnical
- A. The Committee of Engineers shall appoint a Chief Surveyor and Geotechnic Engineer to oversee work.
- B. The Chief Surveyor and his staff will be responsible for gathering survey data collected by the national surveying agencies. The Chief Surveyor and his staff will survey all prospective routes and report back to the Committee of Engineers with suggestions about the suitability of prospective routes.
- C. The Chief Surveyor and his staff will be responsible for placing survey pins to mark control points. Survey pins will be made of magnetic iron and shall be placed with no less than a one-centimeter margin of error.
- D. The Chief Surveyor and his staff will be responsible for maintaining As-Built maps of the motorway system, and work with cartographers to prepare road maps for motorists.
- E. The Geotechnical Engineer and his staff will be responsible for evaluating the suitability of soils along the planned routes, drilling routes to evaluate soil composition, sinkage and compaction potentials, and the level of the water table.
- F. The Geotechnical Engineer and his staff will provide data to the regional/national engineers with recommendations as to proper materials and embedment choices for the planned routes.

Part Three. Design
- A. Minimum lane width shall be four meters. Narrower lanes shall require a Design Exception, available from the Committee of Engineers. A minimum of two paved meters meters and two unpaved meters shall be provided on both sides of the motorway for emergency vehicles.
- B. Width between carriageways shall be a standard twenty-five meters in order to allow adequate room for expansion and emergency lanes. If the width drops below eighteen meters, the lanes shall be divided by a concrete barrier of adequate weight, height, and construction to prevent vehicles from crossing into oncoming lanes of traffic.
- C. Design speed for the carriageway is to permit speeds of no less than 100km per hour in urban areas, and speeds of no less than 130km per hour in rural areas.
- D. Design shall seek to eliminate unnecessary gradiants wherever possible. Maximum grades in rural flat terrain shall be limited to 3%. In rural rolling terrain, grades shall be limited to 4%. In rural mountainous terrain, grades shall be limited to 5%. Where applicable, runaway safety ramps shall be constructed, as deemed necessary by the Committee of Engineers.
- E. Every five kilometers, a one and a half kilometer-long section of uncurved carriageway shall be maintained for national defense requirements.
- F. The regional/national engineer will evaluate the appropriate materials necessary for construction of the embedment and the motorway. Care should be taken to determine economically-effective materials capable of withstanding heavy and repeated vehicle traffic, according to the determination of the Committee of Engineers.

Part Four. Drainage
- A. The road surface shall rise in the center of the paved road to permit rainfall to run off. Slope shall not exceed 2%.
- B. Drainage ditches shall be maintained in all areas to channel water away from the road surface and into natural drainage basins. Drainage ditches may be routed under the roadway if necessary using corrugated metal pipe or concrete cast pipe of an appropriate size necessary to carry the flow of a hundred-year rainstorm.
- C. Side-slopes on the motorway shall be no steeper than 1:6.

Part Five. Bridges
- A. Bridges shall be designed, if possible, to carry the separated carriageways across obstructions without altering the course of travel. In order to permit reconstruction and maintenance projects, two parallel bridges are preferred to a single bridge.
- B. Bridges shall be designed to permit the passage of heavy or superheavy vehicles up to and exceeding seventy tons without need for modifications.
- C. Roads passing over the motorway shall retain a clearance of no less than 5.5 meters. Roads passing under the motorway shall retain a clearance as appropriate for that class of road. Clearance over navigable waterways shall be evaluated according to the type of traffic moving on that waterway, and shall be sized according to the recommendations of the chief engineers.

Part Six. Signage
- A. Uniform signage shall be used across the extent of the motorway system, according to designs prepared by the Chief of Signage and approved by the Committee of Engineers.
- B. Signs shall be placed a minimum of thirty meters apart from each other to permit time for motorists to read and understand the signs.
- C. Signs shall be visible and readily identifiable at no less than two hundred meters.
- D. Signage shall be constructed with high-visibility materials to permit recognition in darkness or inclement weather conditions.
- E. Signs shall be manufactured using the language and alphabet appropriate to the country.
- F. Each country will maintain at the border stations a kiosk containing a map of the motorway system, a summary of applicable motoring laws (if any), and a guide to understand any special signs in the country.
- G. All distance signs shall be marked in meters and kilometers.
- H. Distance markers shall be placed every kilometer.
- I. Standardized signs will include (but not be limited to) the following: maximum and minimum speed limits (if applicable),

Part Seven. Maintenance
- A. Ground cover composed of native grasses shall be grown in medians, drainage ditches, and other unpaved areas as slope protection. No undergrowth shall be permitted to exceed twenty-five centimeters in height, and woody plants shall be removed from the safety zone of the motorway.
- B. Cracks, potholes, and other obstacles which disturb the flow of traffic shall be filled if possible. If filling is not possible, sections should be cut out and relaid with fresh cement.
- C. Stated design lifetime shall be at least twenty years, with resurfacing to be carried out at intervals judged necessary by the regional/national engineers, who are responsible for evaluating maintenance patterns.

Britain is still unsure about the Warsaw Pact.

Greece was always awarded special status as an ally since the Great War and together made efforts to form a firm wall against Italian potential aggression while Greece could count on British support if the Turks ever got out of hand.

On the other hand Britian tends to see the Balkans as unstable and this new pact tends to revise that view and that now it can begin to stand alone. We do worry about the Russian reaction and that of Germany to such a massive bloc emerging on their doorsteps.

Also if the Southern End of the Warsaw Pact proves to remain pro-British then perhaps it may come to play a more dominant role in keeping the Med peaceful.

Quoted

Also if the Southern End of the Warsaw Pact proves to remain pro-British then perhaps it may come to play a more dominant role in keeping the Med peaceful.

Greece has no intentions of being anything BUT pro-British. We're just hedging our bets, so to speak.

Germany does not find the Warsaw Pact, as currently constituted and assuming all of the treaty's text is public knowledge and that there are no secret codicils, a matter of great concern. It is an enlarged PRJ, which we have had as neighbors for years and the the enlargement has taken place at the southern edge of Europe. Now, should Czechoslovakia join the Warsaw Pact, or the text of the agreement change, or Germany's relatiionship with Poland deteriorate, then the Warsaw Pact will become a matter of far greater concern.

Quoted

We do worry about the Russian reaction...

Warsaw Pact appears to be defensive alliance, among countries that will hardly agree on priorities for any aggressive actions as an alliance. Warsaw Pact will stabilize situations on Russia's western border, and that is all Russia asks of any of her neighbors.

Quoted

Originally posted by Hood
Britain is still unsure about the Warsaw Pact.


On the other hand Britian tends to see the Balkans as unstable and this new pact tends to revise that view and that now it can begin to stand alone. [snip]

In response to the concerns raised by the Foreign Office the Yugoslav Ambassador, Alexsandr Dangic, would seek a conference with the Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax, to explain his country's position on the treaty and hopefully relieve any concerns Britain may have.

"Your Excellency," he begins, "I thank you for the opportunity to address the concerns raised by His Majesty's Government regarding what many see as a revolution in diplomatic affairs. Let me begin by assuring you of Yugoslavia's continuing friendship with the United Kingdom, and of our nation's desire and hope for continued and expanding cooperation in the future."

"As you know, His Majesty, King Alexandr, and the Prime Minister, have striven to reverse the decades, nay, centuries, of animosity that have grown up between the nations of the Balkans. This has not been an easy process. Such rivalries have deep roots - but one must begin somewhere. This was the basis of our approach to the Bulgarian Government regarding the disputed portions of eastern Serbia - which after long negotiation we have reached a workable bilateral agreement."

"The proposal to expand such bilateral discussions to a multi-lateral treaty, which the signators have agreed to, merely furthers the process of reducing, and perhaps, one day eliminating such rivalries. By focusing our resources on the betterment of our peoples, each of our nations will be able to improve the lot of the common man and stand stronger among the community of nations."

"There are those nations who may see in the Treaty a threat to their own interests; the Yugoslav Government would say to them as we say to His Majesty's Government - the Treaty is aimed at no nation who deals in open covenants openly arrived at. To those who would use the animosities of the past to further their own ambitions in the Balkans we say 'No More'. For the claims and disputes which remain from the Great War, we seek only a peaceful resolution by discussion and negotiation."

"Thus, my Lord, I trust that I have answered at least some of His Majesty's Government concerns regarding the Warsaw Treaty. It is the Yugoslav Government's hope that His Majesty's Government will recognize and support the spirit of the Treaty, and will allow the ties of amity and commerce to join us closer together."

"In pursuit of this, I bear a less formal message from His Majesty, King Alexandr. It is time for His Highness, Crown Prince Petar, to enter University. It is His Majesty's preference to enroll the Crown Prince in Oxford commencing in the Michaelmas Term. King Alexsandr hopes that His Majesty's Government will find no objection to this."

His Highness, Crown Prince Petar, is more than welcome at Oxford. We hope he learns much and takes home the soundess of a good British education and the goodwill of the British people.


OOC: Really the Pact leaves me feeling a bit flat. Once again we have too much goodwill and jolly human nature stuff when time and time again folks have complained about such Treaties. It's hard to assume all these nations so willingly give up their territorial claims left over from the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. What incentive would there be to ally together if they gain nothing from it other than peace? PRJ and TBA were unlikely to go to war with each other anyway and jealousies remain for much longer in the human memory than we might suppose today.

What the main focus is, is to form a gaint economic bloc in Central Europe. This pushes Germany out of its historical position as prime investor in the area. It now has a potenially very large economic bloc on its doorstep. A bloc that links the Med, Black Sea and Baltic routes and controls 100% of all overland access to and from Russia and the Middle East. That's not saying that WP is hostile to Germany or Russia or anybody else but it will have economic impacts. They could be very good in opening up Eastern Europe to even more trade and investment but also in times of war or tension the WP can lever a sizable economic impact.

Czechoslovakia and Hungary may well now feel decidely hemmed in, straitjacketed between German demands on the Sudetenland and WP coolness towards Hungary. Which way can they turn? Germany? WP? Russia? Italy? GBN?

Italy too now finds a solid wall to the East, even so I dobut Italy ever had the strength or the will to alter the balance of power in the Balkans.
Iberia is too far West to feel any impact, France too, Britain is fairly happy with the situation so far even if wary at the ultimate conclusion and where it might lead in 10-20 years time.

Certainly if we thought a general European War was 90% unlikely when we last mentioned it, now its 100% unlikely.

Really, if we wanted to make the 'second' edition of WW more realistic, you could require approval of all of these pacts from a mod, or something like that....only the obvious ones, like the Commonwealth, would be allowed.

Quoted

Originally posted by Hood
Czechoslovakia and Hungary may well now feel decidely hemmed in, straitjacketed between German demands on the Sudetenland and WP coolness towards Hungary. Which way can they turn? Germany? WP? Russia? Italy? GBN?

We didn't include Czechoslovakia or Hungary because I was disinterested in roping NPCs into a player-organized alliance. OTL Czechoslovakia would, I think, be quite willing to join and take a leading role in the Warsaw Pact - historically they were the world's seventh-largest industrial power in the 1930s - and it definitely meets their historical goals.

Hungary is more difficult - but if you've been paying attention since 1937, Bulgaria and Romania have been pressing for the termination of the Treaty of Trianon, and. Uh. Helping them to violate it by selling them arms Trianon isn't allowed to own. It's currently the stated goal of the Kingdom of Bulgaria to have Trianon repealed and Hungary restored to good standing amongst the nations of Europe. WP coolness towards Hungary? We want them to drop the theory of irredentism, yes; but who's promoting an end to Trianon? Who's trading with them to help buoy their economy? Who's given them a role in an international autostrada network to reconnect them with modern Europe? Who's treating them as a sovereign nation instead of a national prison for Europe's greatest offenders? We are. WP coolness towards Hungary? No.

I must have misread the vibes...

Great Britain is willing to back the repeal of Treaty of Trianon. If anyone wants to refer the matter to the LoN then we will certainly back the call.

Quoted

Originally posted by Hood
Czechoslovakia and Hungary may well now feel decidely hemmed in, straitjacketed between German demands on the Sudetenland and WP coolness towards Hungary. Which way can they turn? Germany? WP? Russia? Italy? GBN?

Heh, as long as the Czechs live up to their obligations under the Treaty on Minorities, Germany will be silent on the Sudetenland. We haven't raised the issue since the Czechs promised to abide by it.

Germany and Russia have both agitated in the past on the subject of revoking the Treaty of Triannon as well, so if we can get that outdated treaty consigned to the dustbin of history, that would be a good thing.

Quoted

Originally posted by Hrolf Hakonson

Quoted

Heh, as long as the Czechs live up to their obligations under the Treaty on Minorities, Germany will be silent on the Sudetenland. We haven't raised the issue since the Czechs promised to abide by it.

With the threat of Panzers thundering over the border, Stukas diving onto their towns and the stamp of jackboots all over their country its no wonder the Czechs abide by it.
Being a Great Power is a big benefit in diplomacy.