Treaty 2+4 (1990) (Meaning and Explanation)

We explained what was two more four and who were the countries that signed it. In addition, its importance for the reunification of Germany.

The signing of Treaty Two plus four was a definitive step for reunification of Germany in 1990.

What was the treaty two plus four?

It is known as the “Treaty Two more four” to the agreement signed by the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and France, for establish the withdrawal of foreign powers from the German territory. The treaty was signed on September 12, 1990 in Moscow and was the product of months of negotiations between the different parts. The objective was to agree on the bases that allow the reunification of Germany.

Throughout the Cold War, the German territory was divided into the Federal Republic of Germany (under the influence of the United Kingdom, France and the United States) and the German Democratic Republic (controlled by the Soviet Union). In November 1989, the Berlin wall that divided the capital city in two had been demolished, The Soviet Union was in crisis and its control over the countries of the communist oriental block was increasingly weakened. This accelerated the negotiations for the reunification of Germany.

From the treaty, The Soviet Union, the United States, the United Kingdom and France resigned from their rights over the city of Berlin And they returned full sovereignty to Germany, which was intervened since World War II.

Historical context of the signing of the treaty two plus four

When World War II ended in 1945, Germany was under the control of foreign troops and was divided into four occupancy zoneseach under the control of one of the countries of the side of the allies who won the war: the Soviet Union, the United States, the United Kingdom and France.

In 1949, within the framework of the beginning of the Cold War, the western occupation zones were unified and created an independent state called Federal Republic of Germany (also known as RFA or West Germany). In response, the Soviet Union constituted the German Democratic Republic (called RDA or Eastern Germany).

Since then, Each of the Germany followed its own course, with a different socioeconomic model and with governments strongly influenced by the respective occupation countries. West Germany implemented a free market capitalism, received financial assistance from the Marshall Plan and the investments of the Western powers. On the other hand, in East Germany a communist model was established, with centralized planning of the economy, with a local government under the control of the Soviet Union.

During the 1950s, the best living conditions in Western Germany made the citizens of Eastern Germany migrate increasingly in greater numbers towards Western Germany. This led to The RDA will install a strong control over the borders and begin to prevent the departure of citizens of the country.

The situation became increasingly serious until in 1961 the Berlin wall was built, which effectively divided the capital city into two. The Berlin wall became one of the most important symbols of the Cold War and divided the German population for more than thirty years.

By the end of the 1980s, the Cold War was in its final stage. Mijaíl Gorbachov (the leader of the Soviet Union) assumed to face the serious crisis that the Soviet Union crossed, both in the political and economic aspect. Gorbachev understood that to deal with the crisis, the Soviet government had to make control over the rest of the countries of the Eastern Block. On the other hand, in 1989 a series of rebellions against communist domain in European countries.

In that context, The Eastern Germany government was in a deep crisis. He had serious problems for the supply of essential goods and the Secret Police (known as the STASI) maintained an oppressive control over the population to keep the government. However, the situation overflowed around 1989, when Hungary (another country in the eastern block) began to liberalize its borders.

Gorbachev had been implementing a non -intervention policy in the internal affairs of the countries of the Eastern bloc. This allowed the demonstrations against the Government of the GDR to multiply and the government could not be firm in the face of the growing political instability.

Finally, on November 9, 1989, given the continuous popular pressure, the Government of the RDA enabled the border traffic to and from Western Germany. In Berlin the population manifested destroying the wall with their own handsusing spikes, shovels and hammers. The following year, the Government of the RDA announced that free elections would be convened, a fact that did not happen since its creation in 1949.

Popular claims also advocated the gathering of Germany. The fall of the wall was the event that opened the way for the reconstitution of Germany as a single country. However, to be possible, it was necessary for foreign countries to renounce their control over the two Germans.

The signing of the treaty two plus four

The different political forces involved in the German issue were the governments of GDR and RFA, and the foreign powers that exercised control over German territory: United States, France and the United Kingdom in West Germany and the Soviet Union in Eastern Germany.

Key Points of the Treaty Two plus four

Among its most important characteristics, Treaty two plus four signed on September 12, 1990, established that:

Germany gathered would integrate the territory of Eastern Germany, West Germany and the entire city of Berlin.
Germany and Poland had to define their borders through another treaty, mandatory.
Germany gathered was committed to peace, would renounce its right to have chemical, nuclear or biological armament and reduce its armed forces to 370,000 troops.
France, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States recognized the right of sovereignty of the German population under the principle of self -determination of peoples.
The Soviet Union would withdraw its troops from the German Democratic Republic in different phases and totally before 1994.
France, the United Kingdom and the United States would maintain troops in Berlin to the total withdrawal of Soviet troops.
Germany would have the right to establish their own treaties and participate in international alliances.

Treaty two plus four

September 12, 1990

“The Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, the French Republic, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America.

Aware of the fact that their peoples have lived in peace since 1945;

Attentive to historical changes that have recently occurred in Europe that have made it possible to overcome the division of the continent;

Taking into consideration the rights and obligations of the four powers in relation to Berlin and Germany as a whole as well as the corresponding agreements and decisions adopted during the war and the postwar period;

Drawed, according to the obligations contracted in the United Nations Charter, to develop friendly relationships based on the principles of equal rights and self -determination of peoples as well as to take other appropriate measures to strengthen peace in the world;

Taking into account the principles reflected in the final act of the conference on safety and cooperation in Europe signed in Helsinki;

Recognizing that these principles have sat a solid base for the creation of a peaceful, fair and lasting order in Europe;

Determined to take into account the security interests of all parties;

Convinced of the need to overcome antagonisms and develop cooperation in Europe;

Confirming your willingness to strengthen security, in particular through the adoption of effective armament control measures, disarmament and promotion of trust; His will not to be considered adversaries but to strive to achieve a relationship of trust and cooperation and consequently to reach adequate institutional agreements within the framework of the Security and Cooperation Conference in Europe;

Assuming with pleasure the fact that the German people, in the free exercise of their right to self -determination, has expressed its willingness to achieve the State Unity of Germany, so that it contributes to the interests of world peace, as an equal and sovereign partner of a united Europe;

Convinced that Germany's unification as a state with definitively delimited borders constitutes a significant contribution to the peace and stability of Europe;

Willing to reach a final agreement on the situation of Germany;

Recognizing the fact that, when Germany becomes a peaceful and democratic state, the rights and obligations of the four powers regarding Berlin and the whole of that country cease to make sense;

Represented by their Foreign Ministers who, as agreed in the OTTAWA Declaration of February 13, 1990 met in Bonn on May 5, 1990, in Berlin on June 22, 1990, in Paris on July 17, 1990 with the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland and in Moscow on September 12, 1990.

We agree:

Art. 1.

1. The United German will include the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany, of the German Democratic Republic and the entire surface of Berlin. Its exterior borders will be those of the Federal Republic of Germany and those of the German Democratic Republic, and will be definitive limits from the date on which this treaty enters into force. Confirmation of the definitive nature of the borders of United Germany is an essential factor for the establishment of a peaceful order in Europe.

2. The United German and the Republic of Poland will have to confirm the borders between the two countries through a treaty that will be mandatory, in accordance with international law.

3. UNIDA Germany has no territorial claim to make other states or formulate it in the future.

4. The governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic will guarantee that the constitution of a united Germany does not contain any clause incompatible with these principles. This will also apply to the clauses included in the preamble, the second heading of article 23 and article 146 of the Fundamental Law of the Federal Republic of Germany.

5. The governments of the French Republic, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland of the North and the United States of America take formal note of these commitments and our statements. Subscribed by the governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic and declare that its application will confirm the definitive nature of the borders of united Germany.

Art. 2. The governments of the RFA and the RDA reiterate their willingness that only peace initiatives will emanate from the German territory. According to the Constitution of Germany united, acts that tend to disturb peaceful relations between nations or undertake for that purpose, or more especially in order to initiate a war of aggression, are unconstitutional and constitute a punishable crime. The governments of the RFA and the GDR declare that the United German will never use their weapons, if it is not to fulfill the provisions of its Constitution and in the United Nations Charter.

Art 3.

1. The governments of the RFA and RDA reiterate their resignation to the elaboration, possession and control of chemical, nuclear or biological armament. They also declare that United Germans will observe these commitments. In particular, the rights and obligations derived from the Nuclear Weapons Non -Proliferation Treaty of July 1, 1968 will remain in force in Germany.

2. The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, acting with full consent of the RDA has issued the following statement on August 30, 1990 in Vienna in the course of negotiations on conventional armed forces in Europe:

«The RFA Government undertakes to reduce the number of troops from the armed forces of the future Germany joined to 370,000 soldiers (including land, sea and air forces) within a period of three to four years. This reduction will begin to be effective once the first CFE agreement is signed. Within the framework of this global limit, no more than 345,000 soldiers will belong to the air and land forces which, according to the previous agreement of the CFE negotiations, constitutes the object of these negotiations on the conventional armed forces in Europe. The Federal Government considers that this commitment to reduce its air and land forces constitutes a relevant contribution from Germany to the global reduction of armed troops in Europe.

It also assumes that in future negotiations other participants in this agreement will also offer their contribution to the promotion of safety and stability in Europe, including measures to limit the number of their troops ».

The GDR government explicitly supports this statement.

3. The governments of the French Republic, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland of the North and the United States of America take note of these statements from the governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic.

Art. 4.

1. The Government of the RFA, the RDA and the USSR declare that the United German and the USSR will set the conditions of the presence of the Soviet armed forces in the territory of the current RDA and in the Berlin area, and that they will coordinate the withdrawal of these forces, which must be completed at the end of 1994, in connection with the application of the commitments of the RFA and RDA paragraph 2 of article 3 of this Treaty.

2. The government of the French Republic, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland of the North and the United States of America will take note of the statements.

Art. 5. 1. As long as the withdrawal of the Soviet Armed Forces of the current territory of the RDA and Berlin is not completed, as established in art. 4 of this treaty, the only German territorial defense units that can be deployed in this area will be those that are not integrated into the military structure of the Alliance. During this period and according to the clauses of section 2 of this article, the deployment of armed forces of other states in that territory will not be allowed nor the realization of other military activities in it.

2. As long as the presence of Soviet armed forces is maintained in the current territory of the RDA and Berlin, the Armed Forces of the French Republic, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland of the North and the United States of America, will remain in this city at the German request, in accordance with the agreement signed between the Government of the United German and those of said states. The number of troops and the number of teams of all the high -German Non -German Armed Forces in Berlin will not exceed at any time that it exists at the time of signing this treaty. The non -German armed forces will not introduce new types of weapons in that period. The United German government will sign with governments whose armed forces are highlighted in Berlin, agreements where fair conditions are established taking into account the existing relations with them.

3. After the total withdrawal of the Soviet armed forces of the current territory of the RDA and Berlin, the units of the German forces linked to the military structure of the Alliance may be deployed in that part of the country, as they are found in other areas of the German territory, but without nuclear armament. This measure does not apply to conventional weapons systems that can have other capacities or other functions in addition to the conventional one, but that in that region of Germany will only be equipped with conventional armament explicitly assigned as such. The foreign armed forces and nuclear weapons or their carrier elements will not be deployed anywhere in the German territory or remain highlighted in it.

Art. 6. The law of Germany united to belong to alliances, with all the rights and obligations derived from it, will not be affected by this treaty.

Art. 7. 1. The French Republic, the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republic, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland of the North and the United States of America, terminate their rights and obligations related to Berlin and Germany as a whole. Consequently, four -party agreements, decisions and practices related to them, as well as all those related to the institutions of the four powers are given by dissolved.

2. The United German will, therefore, will have total sovereignty in its internal and external affairs.

Art. 8 1. The present treaty will be subject to ratification within the shortest possible period. On the German part, it will be ratified by united Germany. From that moment on, the treaty will apply to the entire German territory.

2. The ratification or acceptance instrument will be deposited in the hands of the United German government. That government has to inform the governments of the other contractual parts of the deposit of each of the ratification or acceptance instruments.

Art. 9. This treaty will enter into force for United Germany, the French Republic, the USSR, the United Kingdom and the USA on the date on which the last instrument of ratification or acceptance by these states is deposited.

Art. 10. The original of this Treaty, whose texts in English, French, German and Russian are equally authentic, has been deposited in the RFA government, which must transmit certified copies to the governments of the other contractual parts.

Of which we give faith the plenipotentiaries below properly authorized signatories who have signed this treaty. Given in Moscow, the twelfth day of September 1990. For the Federal Republic of Germany: Hans D. Genscher. For the German Democratic Republic: Lothar de Maiziére. For the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Douglas Hard. By the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics: Eduard Schevernadze. For the United States of America: James Baker.“

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References

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia (2023). “German gathering”. Britannica Encyclopedia
https://www.britannica.com/
Palmowski, J. (2000). “Germany” and “German Question.” To Dictionary of Twentieth-Century World History. Oxford University Press.
Van Dijk, R., Gray, WG, Savranskaya, S., Suri, J., & Zhai, Q. (eds.). (2013). “German Unification”. Encyclopedia of the Cold War. Routledge.