Two Plus Four Treaty

Two Plus Four Treaty. The Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany, commonly known by its shorthand name, was the international agreement that paved the way for German reunification in 1990. It resolved the external aspects of unification, granting the united Germany full sovereignty and defining its post-Cold War borders and alliances. The negotiations uniquely involved the two German states and the four wartime Allied powers that had retained special rights over Germany since the end of World War II.

Background and historical context

The treaty's origins lie in the post-war division of Germany following the Potsdam Agreement and the onset of the Cold War, which solidified the split between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic. The fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, a pivotal moment in the Revolutions of 1989, created an unstoppable momentum toward unity. This rapid development necessitated a final settlement to replace the legal framework of the Occupation statute and the Four Power Agreement on Berlin, which had governed the status of Berlin and Germany since 1945. Key figures like Helmut Kohl and Hans-Dietrich Genscher in the West, alongside Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union, recognized the need for a new international treaty to legitimize the new geopolitical reality in Central Europe.

Negotiations and key participants

The "Two Plus Four" format was proposed by U.S. Secretary of State James Baker and involved the foreign ministers of the two German states and the four Allied powers. Major negotiations occurred through a series of meetings in Bonn, Berlin, Paris, and Moscow. Key participants included Hans-Dietrich Genscher for West Germany, Lothar de Maizière for East Germany, Roland Dumas for France, Eduard Shevardnadze for the Soviet Union, Douglas Hurd for the United Kingdom, and James Baker for the United States. Critical breakthroughs were achieved during discussions between Helmut Kohl and Mikhail Gorbachev in Stavropol and Moscow, which addressed Soviet security and economic concerns.

Main provisions and terms

The treaty's central provisions confirmed that the united Germany's territory would encompass only the areas of the former West Germany, East Germany, and all of Berlin, definitively renouncing any claims to territories east of the Oder–Neisse line, thus recognizing the border with Poland. Germany pledged never to acquire atomic, biological, or chemical weapons and to reduce its armed forces. Crucially, the treaty terminated all remaining rights and responsibilities of the Four Powers relating to Berlin and Germany as a whole, restoring full sovereignty to the German state. It also affirmed Germany's freedom to choose its alliances, clearing the path for the continued membership of the united nation in NATO and the European Communities.

Ratification and implementation

The treaty was signed in Moscow on 12 September 1990 by the six foreign ministers. Ratification processes then proceeded swiftly in the respective national parliaments, including the Bundestag and the Volkskammer, as well as the legislatures of the four Allied powers. The treaty entered into force on 15 March 1991, following the deposit of the last instrument of ratification. Its implementation was closely coordinated with the domestic process of reunification, which was formally completed on 3 October 1990, a day now celebrated as the German Unity Day. The final withdrawal of Soviet troops from former East German territory was completed in 1994, as stipulated in a separate treaty.

Significance and legacy

The treaty is regarded as a cornerstone of the post-Cold War order in Europe, peacefully ending the division that had defined the continent since the Yalta Conference. It facilitated the subsequent expansion of NATO and the European Union into Central and Eastern Europe. By resolving lingering post-war issues, it allowed Germany to become a fully sovereign and central actor in European and global affairs. The diplomatic model of the "Two Plus Four" talks has been cited as a successful example of multilateral conflict resolution. The treaty's success is often attributed to the collaborative spirit among the participants during a period of historic transformation marked by the Dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact.

Category:Treaties of East Germany Category:Treaties of West Germany Category:Cold War treaties Category:Treaties of the Soviet Union Category:1990 in Germany