Treaty of Warsaw (1970)

E62570

The Treaty of Warsaw (1970) was a landmark agreement between West Germany and Poland in which West Germany recognized the Oder–Neisse line as Poland’s western border, easing Cold War tensions and advancing Willy Brandt’s Ostpolitik policy of reconciliation with Eastern Europe.

Aliases (1)

Statements (48)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Cold War treaty
bilateral treaty
international agreement
addressedIssue German territorial claims east of the Oder–Neisse line
advancedPolicyOf Willy Brandt’s Ostpolitik
alsoKnownAs Warsaw Treaty of 1970
cameIntoForce 1972-06-03
contributedTo détente in Europe
improvement of German-Polish relations
countrySignatory Federal Republic of Germany
Poland
dateSigned 1970-12-07
declaredPrinciple inviolability of existing borders in Europe
non-use of force in mutual relations
peaceful settlement of disputes
domesticOppositionFrom CDU/CSU in West Germany
historicalBackground displacement of German population from former eastern territories
post-World War II territorial changes in Central Europe
languageOfDocument German
Polish
legalEffect West German de facto recognition of Polish sovereignty over former German territories
confirmation that borders could only be changed by peaceful means and mutual agreement
mainPurpose normalization of relations between West Germany and Poland
recognition of post-World War II borders in Central Europe
partyGovernmentLeader Józef Cyrankiewicz
Willy Brandt
policyGoal easing tensions between NATO and Warsaw Pact states
reconciliation with Eastern Europe
politicalContext Cold War
Ostpolitik
recognizedAs Poland’s western border
recognizedBorder Oder–Neisse line
region Europe
relatedTo Basic Treaty (1972)
Helsinki Final Act
Treaty of Moscow (1970)
required ratification by the West German Bundestag
resultedFrom West German Ostpolitik initiative
signedByHeadOfGovernment Willy Brandt
signedByHeadOfState Józef Cyrankiewicz
signedInCity Warsaw
signedInCountry Poland
subjectMatter bilateral relations
borders
security
symbolicEventAssociated Willy Brandt’s Kniefall von Warschau
symbolicGesture Willy Brandt’s kneeling at the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising memorial
timePeriod 20th century


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