Peacemaking After Second World War

Peacemaking after Second World War

The Potsdam Conference

• The Potsdam Conference, also known as the Berlin Conference, was held in July–August 1945.

• It was attended by Stalin, Churchill, Chiang Kai-shek, and U.S. President Harry Truman, along with their high- level delegations.

• The conference resulted in several key decisions regarding the future governance of Germany, pending the signing of a formal peace treaty. Preparations also began for negotiating peace treaties with other defeated Axis powers.

• One of the most contentious issues discussed was the redrawing of borders between Germany, the Soviet Union, and Poland, which involved the forced expulsion of millions of Germans from disputed areas.

Peace Treaties

A 12-nation Paris Conference was held from July 29 to October 15, 1946. This was followed by other meetings of the Foreign Ministers Committee and the treaties were finally approved by the Committee at New York on December 12, 1946. Finally, these treaties were signed by the Allies on the one side and the five powers-Italy, Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Finland on the other. Separate treaties were concluded with each of them.

The peace treaty with Italy resulted in the loss of several territories. France, Greece, and Yugoslavia gained land at Italy’s expense. Trieste was declared an independent port, placed under the administration of a governor appointed by the United Nations Security Council. Albania and Ethiopia regained their independence and became sovereign states once again. Italy also lost her colonies— Libya, Somaliland, and Eritrea. Additionally, her armed forces were significantly reduced, and she was required to pay substantial reparations within seven years.

• The treaty with Romania mandated the transfer of the provinces of Bessarabia and Bukovina to the Soviet Union and Dobruja to Bulgaria. Romania was also required to pay reparations to the Soviet Union, and restrictions were placed on the size of its military.

• Hungary was required to return several villages south of the Danube River to Czechoslovakia, which it had annexed in 1938. The province of Transylvania was restored to Romania. Hungary, too, had to pay reparations and was disarmed.

• Bulgaria, unlike the other Axis nations, did not lose territory. In fact, it gained Dobruja from Romania. However, Bulgaria was also required to pay reparations and reduce the size of its armed forces.

• Finland ceded several territories to the Soviet Union, including the Salla region, the Petsamo province, and the Porcalla Udd naval base. Like the other defeated nations, Finland was required to pay reparations and drastically reduce its military.

These five post-war treaties greatly favored the Soviet Union, which emerged with significant territorial and strategic gains. Another major beneficiary was Yugoslavia, which gained territory, influence, and emerged as the dominant power in the Balkans, rivaling Italy in the region