Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany

Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany
Name	Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany
Other names	Two Plus Four Treaty
Signed	12 September 1990
Location signed	Moscow
Parties	Federal Republic of Germany, German Democratic Republic, United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, France
Effective	15 March 1991
Language	English language, French language, German language, Russian language

Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany was the international agreement that resolved post‑World War II external aspects of German sovereignty and enabled German reunification by reconciling positions of the Federal Republic of Germany, German Democratic Republic, United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and France. The treaty concluded negotiations begun at the Two Plus Four Treaty negotiations and followed diplomatic processes initiated by the Helsinki Accords, the Yalta Conference, and political changes triggered by the Revolutions of 1989 and the fall of the Berlin Wall. It came into force after ratification by the signatories and interacted with instruments such as the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, the Unification Treaty (1990), and decisions of the European Community and North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Background and Negotiation

The treaty emerged from a diplomatic sequence involving the Federal Republic of Germany leadership of Helmut Kohl, the German Democratic Republic leadership of Lothar de Maizière, the United States administration of George H. W. Bush, the Soviet Union leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev, the United Kingdom government of Margaret Thatcher and the France presidency of François Mitterrand. Negotiations drew on precedents from the Potsdam Conference, the Treaty of Versailles, the Paris Peace Treaties, 1947, and later instruments such as the Treaty on the European Union and discussions at the Conference on Security and Co‑operation in Europe. Delegations negotiated core issues—frontiers, military forces, and sovereignty—during talks in Moscow and other venues influenced by the dynamics of the Cold War, the Eastern Bloc collapse, and policies like perestroika and glasnost.

Provisions of the Treaty

Key provisions addressed borders, armed forces, and external constraints: the treaty recognized the border with Poland as the Oder–Neisse line, confirmed full sovereignty for a united Germany, and stipulated the withdrawal, reduction, or limitation of foreign forces. It prohibited the stationing of WMDs by the united state and regulated NATO deployments, referencing commitments made at Brussels Summit (1990) and discussions with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The treaty clarified responsibilities arising from the Allied Control Council, abrogated occupation rights, and established that united Germany would assume international obligations under instruments such as the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany and entries into the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.

Implementation and Withdrawal of Allied Forces

Implementation involved phased troop movements and base closures by the Soviet Armed Forces (CIS) and other allied contingents, coordinated with the Bundeswehr and ministries of Defence (United Kingdom), United States Department of Defense, and French Armed Forces. The treaty set timelines that intersected with operations such as the withdrawal from East Germany and the return of facilities in Berlin, requiring logistics akin to post‑Cold War redeployments seen in Operation Desert Storm planning and later NATO transformations. Financial and technical arrangements referenced cooperation frameworks between Moscow institutions, Bonn authorities, and multilateral bodies to manage environmental remediation, personnel resettlement, and property transfer.

German Reunification and Legal Effects

Entry into force of the treaty enabled the Unification Treaty (1990) processes and the extension of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany to the territory of the German Democratic Republic, consolidating constitutional continuity affirmed by the Federal Constitutional Court (Germany). It removed occupation law remnants established after World War II and paved the way for unified participation in institutions such as the European Community, later the European Union, and NATO. The treaty affected bilateral relations with Poland, the Czech Republic, and Russia and influenced subsequent accords including border treaties and compensation arrangements addressed in protocols and bilateral instruments.

Political and International Reactions

Responses ranged from endorsement by Western capitals including Washington, D.C., Paris, and London to cautious acquiescence in Moscow, where debates in the Supreme Soviet and Communist Party of the Soviet Union reflected concerns about security, influence, and economic compensation. Political actors such as Willy Brandt, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Václav Havel, and leaders of regional parliaments engaged in commentary, while parties across the European Parliament and national legislatures debated implications for integration, NATO enlargement, and continental order. International organizations including the United Nations, the Conference on Security and Co‑operation in Europe, and the OSCE monitored implementation and gave political weight to ratification processes.

Legacy and Historical Assessment

Historians and scholars evaluate the treaty as a cornerstone of the post‑Cold War settlement, comparing it with the outcomes of the Congress of Vienna, the Treaty of Frankfurt (1871), and the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Austria (1955). It is cited in analyses of NATO enlargement, European integration, and the transformation of Russian foreign policy under successive leaderships including Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin. Debates continue in works addressing security guarantees, interpretive disputes over oral assurances, and the treaty’s role in shaping twenty‑first century relations among Germany, Russia, Poland, and transatlantic partners such as the United States and United Kingdom. The instrument remains central in studies of sovereignty, territorial settlement, and the peaceful resolution of Cold War legacies.

Category:1990 treaties Category:German reunification