STOCKHOLM (EE) — In 1945 from July 17 through August 2 the heads of the governments of the USA, Great Britain and the Soviet Union, who had been fighting against national-socialist Germany as allies, had a meeting in Potsdam. The Allies decided to de-nazify and demilitarize Germany and to destroy Germany’s military industry, as well as to prosecute the war criminals by means of an international court-martial.
The highest power in Germany was supposed to be the Control Council of the Allies.
As the result of a special agreement the Soviet Union was granted a right to get reparation for its occupation as well as reparation from the zones and territories it occupied.
The rivers Oder and Neisse temporarily marked the German-Poland border until the final peace agreement with Germany was to be signed. The Königsberg region (nowadays known as Kaliningrad and Kaliningrad oblast) was given to the Soviet Union for 50 years, i.e. until the year 1995, but afterwards, when the Paris peace conference took place, this topic did not get any public attention and therefore this question has remained unsolved to date.
Recently, Russia’s current deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Mr.Sergei Ivanov claimed Russia will locate its missiles to the Kaliningrad region. But what of the 50-year agreement? Russia’s rights over the territory, already dubiously gained, have ceased to exist from the year 1995 on.
Remembering Potsdam
Archived Articles | 27 Aug 2007 | Heikki H. TannEWR
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