Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany

Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany is the international agreement that paved the way for the reunification of Germany in 1990. Concluded between the Two Plus Four powers—East Germany, West Germany, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States—it formally ended the rights and responsibilities of the Four Powers stemming from the post-war period. The treaty resolved critical external aspects of German reunification, including NATO membership for a united Germany, final borders, and the withdrawal of Soviet troops.

Background and historical context

The treaty's origins lie in the post-war division of Germany and the ensuing Cold War. Following World War II, the Allied powers assumed supreme authority via the 1945 Berlin Declaration, leading to the creation of four occupation zones and the separate states of the German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany. The Berlin Blockade and the construction of the Berlin Wall cemented this division. The Peaceful Revolution in the GDR in 1989, part of the Revolutions of 1989, and the Fall of the Berlin Wall created a sudden momentum for unification. This necessitated a final settlement to replace the Potsdam Agreement and address the unresolved "German Question" that had been a central tension of the Cold War, involving all former wartime allies.

Negotiations and signing

Formal negotiations, known as the Two Plus Four talks, began in May 1990. The six parties—the two German states and the Four Powers—held a series of meetings in Bonn, East Berlin, Paris, and Moscow. Key diplomats included Hans-Dietrich Genscher of West Germany, Lothar de Maizière of East Germany, James Baker of the United States, Eduard Shevardnadze of the Soviet Union, Douglas Hurd of the United Kingdom, and Roland Dumas of France. Critical breakthroughs involved securing Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's assent to a united Germany in NATO during the Caucasus meeting in Stavropol and resolving financial support for Soviet troop withdrawal. The treaty was signed in Moscow on 12 September 1990 by the foreign ministers of the six states.

Key provisions and terms

The treaty's core articles definitively settled Germany's status. It affirmed that the united Germany, comprising the territory of the GDR, the FRG, and all of Berlin, would have full sovereignty over its internal and external affairs. It confirmed the Oder–Neisse line as Germany's permanent eastern border with Poland, a point also solidified in a separate treaty with Poland. The treaty mandated the complete withdrawal of all Soviet forces from former East Germany by the end of 1994. Crucially, it stipulated that only the German armed forces assigned to NATO would be stationed in the east, with no nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons ever being stationed there. It also formally renounced any future territorial claims.

Implementation and consequences

Implementation proceeded swiftly following ratification by all signatories and the Bundestag. The treaty entered into force on 15 March 1991. The Soviet Union (and later the Russian Federation) completed the withdrawal of its Western Group of Forces from Germany by August 1994. Domestically, it enabled the completion of the Unification Treaty process, with the GDR formally acceding to the Federal Republic of Germany on 3 October 1990. Internationally, it removed the last legal vestiges of occupation statute and allowed a sovereign Germany to take its seat in the United Nations and exercise full membership in NATO and the European Communities. The treaty is widely seen as having facilitated the Dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in Europe.

Legacy and significance

The treaty is considered a landmark of modern diplomacy and a cornerstone of the post-Cold War European order. It successfully resolved the most contentious issue of 20th-century European politics without conflict, serving as a model for peaceful conflict resolution. By firmly anchoring a united Germany in NATO and the emerging European Union, it ensured stability in Central Europe. The treaty's border guarantees provided lasting security for neighbors like Poland and the Czech Republic. It is frequently cited alongside the Helsinki Accords and the Charter of Paris as a foundational document for the OSCE security framework, effectively closing the book on World War II and permitting a new era of transatlantic and European-Russian relations.

Category:Treaties of the Soviet Union Category:Treaties of the United Kingdom Category:Treaties of the United States Category:Treaties of France Category:Treaties of Germany Category:Cold War treaties Category:1990 in Germany Category:1990 in the Soviet Union Category:1990 treaties Category:Peace treaties