The Paris Peace Conference

The Paris Peace Conference of 1946 was convened to consider drafts of several peace treaties. The conclusion of the agreements was supposed between the countries of the anti-Hitler alliance, which won the war of 1939-1945 and the former German allies in Europe: Hungary, Bulgaria, Finland, Italy, Romania.

The Paris Peace Conference was held with the participation of the USSR, China, Britain, BSSR, USA, France, Australia. The meetings were attended by representatives of Belgium, Greece, Brazil, Canada, India, New Zealand, Poland. The Paris Peace Conference was also held with the participation of the Ukrainian SSR, Norway, Yugoslavia, the South African Union, Ethiopia, and Czechoslovakia. A number of interested countries also had an opportunity to present their positions through their representatives. So, the interests of Egypt, Cuba, Mexico, Austria, Albania, Iraq, Iran were represented.

The Paris Peace Conference was held in sharp clashes between Western delegations and Soviet representatives. The USSR advocated the national independence of all peoples. The Western powers aspired in the treaties to secure the right to interfere in the internal life of most of the former German allies.

The Russian question at the Paris Peace Conference was exacerbated quite often, however, thanks to the firm position of the Soviet government, many of the provisions adopted earlier in the Foreign Ministerial Council were approved. At the same time, Western countries used the procedure for adopting regulations imposed by the same method - a simple majority. This contradicted the recommendations of the Council of Ministers, demanding in such cases 2/3 of votes, that is, a qualified majority. As a result, the Paris Peace Conference was marked by the adoption of several unacceptable recommendations proposed by Western countries (for example, on the internationalization of the Danube).

Separate articles of draft agreements (those that were not agreed upon) were considered at a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers in America (New York). Among these provisions were articles on the Greco-Bulgarian borders, reparations with Italy, the status of Trieste, navigation regimes on the Danube and others. So, in November-December 1946 the preparation of the provisions for signing was completed.

In the next year 1947, the agreements were signed. The Paris agreements (peace agreements) were concluded on February 10 between the former German allies and the victorious countries. Projects, in accordance with the decisions taken at the Potsdam Conference of the year 45, were considered and prepared at the first meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), at a meeting of foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, the United States and the USSR in Moscow in December 45th Year, meetings of deputy ministers for foreign affairs in London. In addition, all articles of draft treaties were also considered at the Paris Conference. The signed agreements entered into force on September 15, 1947. The agreements were signed with each of the five countries by those victorious powers that were with a particular country in a state of war.

All agreements were composed the same. There is a preamble and regulations in them. Decisions reflect territorial, military, political, economic, and also questions about reparations. The final decisions dealt with the interpretation and methods of execution of treaties, the procedure for their ratification and entry into force. Each treaty contained an annex that clarified a number of significant issues relating to articles, as well as special provisions that related to literary, artistic and industrial property, those contracts that were concluded before the war. All peace agreements contain provisions on the timing of the withdrawal of troops.