ABSTRACT
Any discussion of the nature and scope of Soviet security interests in Eastern Europe must begin with the understanding that they entail military as well as political-ideological and economic interests. Militarily, the East European states of the Warsaw Pact serve Soviet security interests by providing Moscow with a buffer zone, which in terms of conventional warfare offers a measure of protection for the Soviet homeland and which also helps extend the reach of Soviet power into the heart of Europe. As 1984 approached and the people and parliaments of Western Europe debated North Atlantic Treaty Organization's decision to deploy new intermediate-range missiles in several West European countries, Moscow's East European allies joined the debate through an extraordinarily vocal campaign. A challenge to Warsaw Pact cohesion also surfaced in the form of political and ideological disputes, of which the most important focused on how East European states should resolve the conflict between their national interests and international obligations.
