Republic (East Germany) a few
years later. This group became the tighter and more formal Warsaw Pact
military alliance in 1955. Albania dissociated itself from the pact in
the early 1960s, and its treaties with Bulgaria and the other members
have not been renewed since then. Bulgaria's treaties with the remainder
of the original allies have been renewed regularly and are the cause for
official observances each year on their anniversary dates.

Although Bulgaria may be the most loyal and reliable of the Soviet
Union's allies, military cooperation between the two countries is
limited by their geographical separation. Even if Romania were to permit
Bulgaria's forces to cross its territory in order to participate in
Warsaw Pact training, it is probable that Bulgaria's role in a future
European war would be limited to southeastern Europe, an area that would
be of less immediate concern at the outset of a war between the Warsaw
Pact members and NATO. In any event, air and sea transport is in limited
supply and is not used for the delivery of large numbers of Bulgarian
troops to exercises in an area where they probably would not be
employed. As a consequence, Bulgaria sends only token forces and
observers to the larger pact exercises.

Bulgaria is not a warm proponent of ideological coexistence but is
strongly in favor of arms reductions and limitations on future weapons.
It was a member of a United Nations disarmament committee in the early
1970s, and much space in the printed media is devoted to support of
proposals for restricting deployment and use of nuclear weapons in
certain areas.

MANPOWER, TRAINING, AND SUPPORT

Manpower

Interpolations of the United Nations estimate of the country's 1973
population indicate that there were about 2.3 million males in the
fifteen- to forty-nine-year age-group, which Bulgarian authorities
consider military age. There were also about 70,000 in the annual groups
that were reaching the draft age of nineteen each year. Those
conscripted serve two- or three-year duty tours. The basic ground force
tour is two years; that of special units and air and naval forces is
three years.

Approximately 70 percent of the military age groups, or 1.6 million
males, are considered physically and otherwise fit for military duty.
Any number of them could be called up in the event of an emergency
requiring total mobilization, but it is likely that many of the group
would be occupying positions havi