Tacitus
4 Nov 2018
News / "It's too late for Germany" (but not for Poland) [1798]
Because it waved those claims in treaties that solved the reparation issue, yes. Just like Germany has no legal claim to its' former territories, so does Poland not have any claims to reparations.
We had this discussion before and it is not really fruitful if I have to explain all the basics to you over and over again. You clearly seem interested in this issue, so I would recommend reading some literature about it. Numerous books have been published about the Oder-Neisse-Line and how the German and Polish government negotiated about it. A book that explains it quite well is this:
Allen, Debra J. (2003). The Oder-Neisse line: the United States, Poland, and Germany in the Cold War.
This is wrong. The former Eastern Territories belonged legally to Germany until it accepted the loss of it in those treaties. That is basic international law. The Potsdam Agreement was not a permanent border settlement (which is stated in the text itself) so for a permanent solution, Germany would have to agree to the border.
Something the Polish people were very nervous about until 1990/91. That nervosity was unfounded of course, something everybody pointed out to them. But they still insisted on it. Their chose, and Poland has to live with it.
Nothing perhaps to you. But not to the Polish people and politicians in 1989/90 who pestered the 4 occupational powers and Germany to finalize the border before reunification took place. They were willing to wave their reparation claims as a consequence, and this they did. No need to feel angry about it though. The reason why you do not consider the border in any way threatened is because of those agreements. So they worked as they should.
Germany has no territorial claims,
Because it waved those claims in treaties that solved the reparation issue, yes. Just like Germany has no legal claim to its' former territories, so does Poland not have any claims to reparations.
We had this discussion before and it is not really fruitful if I have to explain all the basics to you over and over again. You clearly seem interested in this issue, so I would recommend reading some literature about it. Numerous books have been published about the Oder-Neisse-Line and how the German and Polish government negotiated about it. A book that explains it quite well is this:
Allen, Debra J. (2003). The Oder-Neisse line: the United States, Poland, and Germany in the Cold War.
After all we all agree that the post-war German state has no legal claims to any territories.
This is wrong. The former Eastern Territories belonged legally to Germany until it accepted the loss of it in those treaties. That is basic international law. The Potsdam Agreement was not a permanent border settlement (which is stated in the text itself) so for a permanent solution, Germany would have to agree to the border.
Something the Polish people were very nervous about until 1990/91. That nervosity was unfounded of course, something everybody pointed out to them. But they still insisted on it. Their chose, and Poland has to live with it.
nothing
Nothing perhaps to you. But not to the Polish people and politicians in 1989/90 who pestered the 4 occupational powers and Germany to finalize the border before reunification took place. They were willing to wave their reparation claims as a consequence, and this they did. No need to feel angry about it though. The reason why you do not consider the border in any way threatened is because of those agreements. So they worked as they should.