World War II Peace Treaties


Figure 1.--.

World War II was the greates war ever fought in human history. It involved all of the major powers and most of the world's smaller countries. Soome countries managed to remain neutral, bit even these counries were significantly affected by the War, The Axis countries were totally defeated and forced to surender unconditionally. Even so, negotiating peace treaties proved a complex process because of the number of countries involved. In addition the Soviet Unin which began the War as a NAZI ally with invasions of neigboring countries, because of the NAZI invasion ended up on the Allied side. Further complicating atters, Italy withdrew from the Axis and ny the end of the War was fighting wth the Allies. The greatest complication, however, was that the Soviet insistence on creating an empire in Eastern Europe by setting up satellite states provoked a Cold War and te Allies began to see Germany and Japan as potential allies rather than potential enemies. The shape of post-War Europe was essentially sketeched out at World War II conferences (Yalta and Potsdam). The Allies held conferences which resulted in peace treaties with Axis countries (Italy, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria) and Finland (a co-belgerant, but not an Axis country) signed in Paris (1947). These countries had to make territorial concessions, pay reparations and limit the size and strength of their military forces. The bulk of the reparations were paid to the Soviet Union, but a share was pais to other occupied countries (Albania, Czechoslovakia. Ethiopia, Greece, and Yugoslavia). Germany was more of a problem, largely because of te developing Cold War. The Soviets and the Western Allies failed to agree on the terms of a peace treaty with Germany. Soviet attempts to force the Allies out of Berlin failed with the Berlin Air Lift (1948-49). The United States, Great Britain, and France became the Federal Republic of Germany (1949). The Allied granted the Federal Republic independence (1955). The Soviet Union proclaimed the independence of East Germany as the German Democratic Republiv (DDR) (1954). As a negotisating too, the Soviets threatened to negotiate a separate peace treaty with the DDR. This would have endagered Allied access to Berlin. The Soviets and the DDR built the Berlin Wall (1961). The DDR remained a Soviet satellite until Germany was reunited (1990). Austria during the War was part of NAZI Germany. There was a sparate Allied occupaion of Austria. The occuation was ended (1955). Austria adopted a neutral stance and agreed never to seek union wuith Germany. After the immediate post-War years, the Allies led by the United States began the process of framing a peace treaty with Japan. This process was blocked by the Soviet Union as the Cold War with the United States escalated. The United States sponsored a treaty that was endorsed by Japan and 48 other nations (1951). The Soviet Union, however, refused to sign. Japan signed a separate peace treaty with India and Nationalist China (1952) and finally the Soviet Union (1956).

Complications

World War II was the greates war ever fought in human history. It involved all of the major powers and most of the world's smaller countries. Some countries managed to remain neutral, bit even these counries were significantly affected by the War, The Axis countries were totally defeated and forced to surender unconditionally. Even so, negotiating peace treaties proved a complex process because of the number of countries involved. In addition the Soviet Unin which began the War as a NAZI ally with invasions of neigboring countries, because of the NAZI invasion ended up on the Allied side. Further complicating atters, Italy withdrew from the Axis and ny the end of the War was fighting wth the Allies. The greatest complication, however, was that the Soviet insistence on creating an empire in Eastern Europe by setting up satellite states provoked a Cold War and te Allies began to see Germany and Japan as potential allies rather than dangerous enemies.

War Conferences

The shape of post-War Europe was essentially sketeched out at World War II conferences (Yalta and Potsdam).

Treaties

The number of countries involved and differences between the Alied powers resulted in quite a number of fifferent treaties beng signed.

German European Allies

The Allies held conferences which resulted in peace treaties with Axis countries (Italy, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria) and Finland (a co-belgerant, but not an Axis country) signed in Paris (1947). These countries had to make territorial concessions, pay reparations and limit the size and strength of their military forces. The bulk of the reparations were paid to the Soviet Union, but a share was paid to other occupied countries (Albania, Czechoslovakia. Ethiopia, Greece, and Yugoslavia). The Paris Peace Conference (July 29 - October 15, 1946) resulted in the Paris Peace Treaties (February 10, 1947). The Big Four Allied powers (the United States, United Kingdom, France and the Soviet Union) were the princpal negotiators. The resulting treaties permitted the former Axis allies (Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, and Romania) and Finland to resume their status as sovereign states nd to qualify for membership in the new United Nations. The treaty provisions included payment of war reparations, commitment to minority rights and territorial adjustments. Here there were changes in Africa, the end of the Italian colonial empire. Territorial changes in Europe included the Hungarian-Slovak, Romanian-Hungarian, Soviet-Romanian, Bulgarian-Romanian and Soviet-Finnish borders. frontiers. The settlement concerning Finland was complicated. The Soviet Union at the time allied with NAZI Germany had seized large areas of Finland in the Winter War (1939-40). At the tme there was widespread sympathy for Finland in the West. Subsequently, Finland fought with NAZI Germany as a co-beligerant (but not an Axis partner). The Soviet Union's accessions of territory in the Moscow Peace Treaty (1940) were confirmed. The war reparation problem proved to be one of the most difficult arising from post-war conditions. The Soviet Union as a result of the damage sustained demanded huge repiratins, with the exception of Bulgaria which did not participate in Barbarossa. In the cases of Romania, Hungary, and Finland, the reparation terms as set forth in their armistices were relatively high and were not revised. War reparations (at 1938 prices): $360 million from Italy $125 million to Yugoslavia $105 million to Greece $100 million to the Soviet Union, $25 mllion to Ethiopia, $5 million to Albania. $300 million from Finland to the Soviet Union $300 million from Hungary $200 million to the Soviet Union $100 million to Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia $300 million from Romania to the Soviet Union $70 million from Bulgaria $45 million to Greece $25 million to Yugoslavia

Germany

The NAZI regime headed by Admiral Dönitz surrendered unconditionlly to the Allies. The last few days of the War involved the Wehrmacht trying to move as muc of its persnnel west as possible. The Germans had to surrender twice. Once to the Western Allies and a day latter to the Soviets. This began a period of military occupation and de-Nazification. Negotiating a peace treaty proved more of a problem, largely because of te developing Cold War. The Soviets and the Western Allies failed to agree on the terms of a peace treaty with Germany. Soviet attempts to force the Allies out of Berlin failed with the Berlin Air Lift (1948-49). The United States, Great Britain, and France became the Federal Republic of Germany (1949). The Allied granted the Federal Republic independence (1955). The Soviet Union proclaimed the independence of East Germany as the German Democratic Republiv (DDR) (1954). As a negotisating too, the Soviets threatened to negotiate a separate peace treaty with the DDR. This would have endagered Allied access to Berlin. The Soviets and the DDR built the Belin Wall (1961). The DDR remained a Soviet satellite until Germany was reunited (1990). The main Allied countries and Germany signed a peace treaty just before re-unification (September 1990). This was needed to make Germany's new borders definitive. Agreement was reached between the four main Allies and the two German states with the proviso that it wouldn't become fully effective until ratified by the new, united German government.

Austria

Austria was anned by the NAZIs in the Anschluss (1937). Thus during the War it was part oi NAZI Germany. There was a sparate Allied occupaion of Austria. The occuation was ended (1955). Austria adopted a neutral stance and agreed never to seek union wuith Germany.

Japan

Japan accepted the Allied peace terms (August 1945). Th actual surrender terms were signed under the big guns of the Uss Missouri in Tokyo Bay (September 3, 1945). This ushered in aperiod of American occupation. The United States refused Soviet demands for an occupation zone. After the immediate post-War years, the Allies led by the United States began the process of framing a peace treaty with Japan. This process was blocked by the Soviet Union as the Cold War with the United States escalated. The Japanese Government in negotiating an end to the U.S. occupation initially sought to exclude U.S. bases from Japan, although was prepared to accept them on Okinawa. Prime Minister Yoshida Shigeru came to the conclusion that it would be in Japan's best interest to accept U.S. bases on the Home Islands. Here the Communist victory in China (1949), a more agressve Siviet Union, and finally the North Korean incasion of South Korea (1950 wre all factors. He also faced the increased militancy of the Japanese Communist Party. The United States sponsored a treaty that was endorsed by Japan and 48 other nations (September 8, 1951). The Treaty was also known as the Treaty of San Francisco or the San Francisco Peace Treaty. It came into force on April 28, 1952. This treaty served not only to officially end World War II. Japan renounced its position as an imperial power. Japan agreed to pay compensation to Allied civilians and former prisoners of war who had been subject to war crimes. The treaty made extensive use of the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a basis for Allies' goals. The Soviet Union, however, refused to sign. Japan signed a separate peace treaty with India and Nationalist China (1952) and finally the Soviet Union (1956).







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Created: 2:20 AM 2/14/2009
Last updated: 2:20 AM 2/14/2009