Allied Commission facts for kids
After World War II ended, the winning countries, called the Allies, took control of the defeated countries, known as the Axis. Even before the war was fully over, they planned how to manage these defeated nations. They created groups called Allied Commissions (sometimes known as Allied Control Commissions or ACC). These commissions were made up of representatives from the main Allied powers. Their job was to help these countries get back on their feet and make sure they followed the rules of peace after the war.
Italy
After Italy surrendered on September 29, 1943, the Allies set up the Control Commission for Italy. This happened on November 10, 1943. The commission helped manage Italy until a peace treaty was signed at the Paris Peace Conference in 1947. After the treaty, the commission was closed down on December 14, 1947.
Romania
An agreement with Romania was signed on September 12, 1944. It set up an Allied Control Commission there. Here are some key points from that agreement:
- Romania stopped fighting the Soviet Union on August 24, 1944.
- Romania joined the Allies to fight against Germany and Hungary.
- Romania agreed to provide at least twelve army divisions for this fight.
- The border between the Soviet Union and Romania, set in 1940, was restored.
- An Allied Control Commission was created to oversee the agreement.
- This commission would work under the Soviet High Command.
- The Romanian government had to follow all instructions from the commission.
- The commission's main office was in Bucharest, Romania's capital.
Two special courts were also set up in Romania. Their job was to try people accused of serious wrongdoings during the war. The peace treaty with Romania was signed on February 10, 1947. It became official on September 15, 1947.
The commission in Romania was mostly controlled by Soviet leaders. One of its main goals was to help the Soviet Union establish communist rule in Romania. Soviet troops stayed in Romania until 1958. Romania then became a satellite state of the Soviet Union. This meant it was closely tied to the Soviet Union and joined groups like the Warsaw Pact.
Finland
The Allied Control Commission (ACC) arrived in Finland on September 22, 1944. Its job was to make sure Finland followed the rules of the Moscow Armistice. The commission had about 200 Soviet members and 15 British members. It was led by Soviet General Andrei Zhdanov. Because the Soviets had so much control, it was often called the Allied (Soviet) Control Commission.
Right away, the commission told Finland to take stronger action against German forces in Northern Finland. This led to a conflict known as the Lapland War, where Finland pushed out the remaining German troops. The commission also required Finland to reduce the size of its army.
The ACC gave Finland a list of political leaders who needed to face legal action. This meant Finland had to create new laws to allow these trials. The commission also influenced these trials, asking for longer prison sentences for those found guilty. The ACC also demanded that Finland ban several groups that were seen as fascist or anti-Soviet.
Another requirement was that all Soviet citizens in Finland, including some Finns and Estonians, had to return to the Soviet Union.
After the war, the Finnish military hid some weapons in case of a Soviet takeover. When this was discovered, the commission demanded an investigation. This event was called the Weapons Cache Case. The Allied Control Commission left Finland on September 26, 1947. This happened after the Soviet Union officially approved the Paris Peace Treaty for Finland.
Bulgaria
An agreement with Bulgaria was signed on October 28, 1944. It also set up an Allied Control Commission. Here are some of its rules:
- Bulgaria's armed forces had to be reduced to a peacetime level. The commission would oversee this.
- Any property taken from Allied countries had to be returned. The commission supervised this.
- Property belonging to Germany and Hungary could not be returned without the commission's permission.
- The commission would manage and supervise the agreement. It was chaired by a representative from the Soviet High Command.
American representatives on the commission for Bulgaria included Major General John A. Crane and Major General Walter M. Robertson.
Hungary
An agreement with Hungary was signed on January 20, 1945. It also created an Allied Control Commission. Some of its key points were:
- Hungary's armed forces had to be reduced to a peacetime level under the commission's watch.
- Hungary had to remove all its troops and officials from parts of Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Romania that it had taken over.
- Any property taken from Allied countries had to be returned. The commission supervised this.
- Property belonging to Germany could not be returned without the commission's permission.
- Hungary had to pay for the Allied Control Commission.
- Hungary also had to ensure that important businesses like factories, transportation, and power stations followed instructions from the Soviet High Command or the commission.
- Hungarian government bodies had to follow orders from the Soviet High Command or the commission to help restore peace.
- The commission would manage and supervise the agreement. It was chaired by a representative from the Soviet High Command.
American representatives on the commission for Hungary included Major General William S. Key and Brigadier General George H. Weems.
Germany
The Allied Control Council (ACC) for Germany was set up to oversee the different areas of Germany occupied by the Allies. It was created by agreements in June and September 1945, with its main office in Berlin. Its members were from Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States. All decisions had to be agreed upon by everyone.
However, the French representatives often did not cooperate. They had not been included in an important meeting called the Potsdam Conference. Because of this, they refused to follow some of the agreements made there. They especially did not want to create common policies for all of Germany. They feared this might lead to a single German government.
Cooperation within the ACC completely broke down when the Soviet representative left on March 20, 1948. The ACC did not meet again until 1971. This disagreement led to Germany being divided into two separate countries: West Germany and East Germany.
After the ACC stopped working, the British, French, and American zones in Germany were managed by the Allied High Commission. The Soviet zone was managed by the Soviet Control Commission. These roles changed when West and East Germany became more independent.
The ACC did meet again in 1971 to discuss travel arrangements in Berlin. During talks for Germany's reunification in 1989, it was decided to bring the ACC back together. This was to help sort out the remaining Allied rights in Germany. The ACC was officially ended by the Two Plus Four Agreement on September 12, 1990. Its last meeting was on October 2, 1990, just before Germany became one country again.
Austria
The Allies planned to create a commission for Austria in 1944. This became more urgent after Soviet forces took control of Vienna on April 13, 1945. The Soviets in Vienna set up a new Austrian government without talking to the other Allies first. On April 27, Austrian leader Karl Renner formed this new government.
At first, the British, US, and French governments did not recognize Renner's government. To counter the Soviet move, they decided to quickly set up a joint commission for Austria. However, the Soviet government did not allow other Allied representatives into Vienna until June. They wanted an agreement on dividing Vienna into four zones first.
So, it was only on June 4 that US, British, and French generals could visit Vienna. Throughout June, talks were held in London to divide Austria into occupation zones. An agreement was reached on July 4, 1945, and later approved by all four Allied governments.
On June 27, 1945, General Mark W. Clark was put in charge of US forces in Austria. He was also named the US member of the Allied Council for Austria.
The Allied Commission for Austria was officially created by an agreement signed in London on July 4, 1945. It became active on July 24, 1945. Another agreement in June 1946 allowed the Austrian government to handle its own foreign relations.
Vienna, the capital, was also divided into four zones. But its center had an International Zone, where control rotated among the four powers. The commission's main office was in Vienna.
One challenge for the commission was the temporary government led by Karl Renner, which the Soviets had set up alone. The other Allies initially refused to recognize it. But on October 1, 1945, the commission suggested recognizing Renner's government. In return, they asked for freedom of the press and free elections in Austria.
The commission for Austria was closed down after the Austrian State Treaty was signed on May 15, 1955.
Japan
At a meeting in Moscow in December 1945, it was decided that the Far Eastern Advisory Commission (FEAC) would become the Far Eastern Commission (FEC). This new commission would be based in Washington, D.C. Its job was to oversee the Allied Council for Japan. This setup was similar to how the Allies managed defeated countries in Europe.
Just as the Soviet Union had a lot of control in countries like Hungary, the United States had the main role in Japan. This was because the US Army had occupied Japan. The change from FEAC to FEC was important. The US Secretary of State, James F. Byrnes, explained that the Soviet Union had wanted a clear plan for control in Tokyo before joining the commission's work.
As agreed, both the FEC and the Allied Council were closed down after the Treaty of San Francisco was signed on September 8, 1951.
See also
- Petersberg agreement
- Allied Military Government of Occupied Territories
- Potsdam Agreement (1945)
- Moscow Conference of Foreign Ministers (1945)
- Paris Peace Treaties, 1947
