Armament of the Visegrad states after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact

This bachelor thesis deals with the development of the defense of Visegrad states after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact. Its aim is to evaluate the development of the national defense of the individual states. The evaluation was carried out on the basis of the following procedure: theoretical definition of armaments, insight into the conventional arms control agreements in force for the region, analysis of the arms industry in Visegrad countries, and analysis of military expenditures of the V4 states. Chapters are structured in the same sequence. Through my research, I have come to the conclusion that in the years since the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, two different directions in the field of defense have emerged within the Visegrad states. Poland is heading in one direction and the rest of the V4 countries is heading the other. The Polish state actively helped to build its country's arms industry and its military expenditure reached a state where the country is capable of independent territorial defense, meeting its commitments towards North Atlantic Treaty Organization and balance of powers with military mighty states of Europe. Other Visegrad states have opted for a rather passive approach to their arms industry. Their military expenditures are in line with the main objectives: completing modernization and the subsequent creation of small but professional armies, fulfilling commitments towards NATO, and catching up with other member states. This work proves that joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was a key moment in the development of the defense for each of the V4 states. For Poland, NATO membership means the establishment of a strategic alliance with the West which, among other things, enables participation in the joint development of conventional weapons. For the rest of the V4 countries, membership serves as a security guarantee and as an engine in developing the defense of their states.