Treaty of Prague (1973)
Encyclopedia
The Treaty of Prague was a treaty
signed on 11 December 1973, in Prague, by the Federal Republic of Germany
(FRG) and Czechoslovakia
, in which the two States recognized each other diplomatically and declared the 1938 Munich Agreement
s to be null and void - by acknowledging the inviolability of their common borders and abandoning all territorial claims.
The Treaty of Prague was a strong element of the Ostpolitik
put forward by the German Chancellor Willy Brandt
and supported by his ruling party in the Bundestag
of the Federal Republic of Germany
. Also, since Germany (the FRG) and Czechoslovakia had never signed any treaty since the Second World War, this treaty functioned as a peace treaty between the two countries and it continues to do so. The western part of Czechoslovakia that borders with Germany has now split off and become the Czech Republic
, which has also ratified this treaty.
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
signed on 11 December 1973, in Prague, by the Federal Republic of Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
(FRG) and Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, in which the two States recognized each other diplomatically and declared the 1938 Munich Agreement
Munich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
s to be null and void - by acknowledging the inviolability of their common borders and abandoning all territorial claims.
The Treaty of Prague was a strong element of the Ostpolitik
Ostpolitik
Neue Ostpolitik , or Ostpolitik for short, refers to the normalization of relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and Eastern Europe, particularly the German Democratic Republic beginning in 1969...
put forward by the German Chancellor Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt, born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm , was a German politician, Mayor of West Berlin 1957–1966, Chancellor of West Germany 1969–1974, and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany 1964–1987....
and supported by his ruling party in the Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
of the Federal Republic of Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. Also, since Germany (the FRG) and Czechoslovakia had never signed any treaty since the Second World War, this treaty functioned as a peace treaty between the two countries and it continues to do so. The western part of Czechoslovakia that borders with Germany has now split off and become the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, which has also ratified this treaty.