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Vol. 41 (2021)
Jubilee article

Continuity and Succession of States: The Fate of Pre-War Germany and Its Implications for the 1970 Treaty of Warsaw

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  • Robert Uerpmann-Wittzack
Robert Uerpmann-Wittzack
University of Regensburg (Regensburg)

Published 2023-01-31

Keywords

  • German Reich,
  • Oder-Neisse line,
  • annexation,
  • incorporation,
  • separation

Copyright (c) 2022 Polish Yearbook of International Law

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Continuity and Succession of States: The Fate of Pre-War Germany and Its Implications for the 1970 Treaty of Warsaw. (2023). Polish Yearbook of International Law, 41, 45-56. https://doi.org/10.24425/PYIL.2022.142337

Abstract

This article explores whether the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) is identical with pre-war Germany. The question is relevant for the understanding of
the 1970 Treaty of Warsaw, because in the event it is identical, the FRG would be the predecessor State of Poland with regard to the former German territories east of the Oder-Neisse line and, therefore, competent to renounce any territorial title. By contrast, in the case of non-identity the FRG would only have been a third State with regard to these territories. However, even in case of identity, the scope of the Treaty of Warsaw seems ambiguous due to Allied reservations. Hence, it was wise to confrm the transfer of sovereignty in 1990.

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