Succession of states facts for kids

Succession of states is about what happens when a new country takes over land and people that used to be part of another country. Imagine a big country, and then a new, smaller country forms from part of it. This idea comes from how countries have dealt with each other for a long time.

When a new country is formed, it often gets its own new identity in the world. This is different from a country that just changes its borders but keeps its original identity.

How Countries Change: Two Main Ways

When countries change, it can happen in two main ways: universal or partial succession.

Universal Succession: A Whole New Start

A universal succession happens when an old country completely disappears, and one or more new countries take its place. It's like the old country is gone, and totally new ones appear.

For example, Czechoslovakia used to be one country. When it split, neither part claimed to be the "old" Czechoslovakia. Instead, both the Czech Republic and Slovakia were seen as brand new countries.

Sometimes, a country can disappear without any new countries taking its place. This happens if one country is completely taken over by another. A recent example is East Germany. After German reunification, East Germany was completely gone. Modern Germany is a continuation of Federal Republic of Germany, not a new country that replaced East Germany.

Partial Succession: Parting Ways

A partial succession happens when a country loses some of its land but still continues to exist. The original country is still there, just smaller.

A good example is when Bangladesh separated from Pakistan. Pakistan continued to exist and kept its place in the United Nations. Bangladesh was a new country that had to apply to join the UN.

What Happens to Agreements and Property?

When a new country forms, there are important questions about what happens to old agreements (like treaties) and property. This can include things like diplomatic missions (embassies), money reserves, and even museum items.

Countries try to follow rules about how these things are transferred. The 1978 Vienna Convention is an international agreement that tries to set out these rules, though not all countries have agreed to it.

Different Kinds of Agreements

Agreements between countries can be tricky:

• Some agreements are between two countries (bilateral) and some involve many countries (multilateral).
• Some agreements are about the land itself, like border agreements. These usually stay in place no matter which country is in charge.

When Things Don't Go Smoothly

Sometimes, the process of state succession doesn't follow the usual rules. Here are some examples since the United Nations was created in 1945.

Afghanistan: A Changing Government

In Afghanistan, the Taliban group took control of most of the country in the 1990s. However, another group, the Northern Alliance, was still recognized by many countries and kept Afghanistan's seat at the United Nations. In 2021, the Taliban took power again, but they still don't have Afghanistan's UN seat.

China: Two Claimants to One Name

The People's Republic of China (PRC) was formed in 1949 and claimed to be the successor to the Republic of China. The Republic of China (ROC) then only controlled the island of Taiwan.

For a long time, the ROC represented "China" at the United Nations. But in 1971, the PRC took China's seat at the UN. Even though the ROC still governs Taiwan, it is not represented in the United Nations.

Historically, China has often had more than one group claiming to be the true "China" during times of change.

Republic of Ireland: Deciding on Treaties

When Ireland (then called the Irish Free State) became independent from the United Kingdom in 1922, it decided that it would choose which old agreements it wanted to keep. However, in practice, Ireland generally kept the business and administrative agreements that had applied to its territory.

Israel: A Fresh Start

When Israel declared its independence in 1948, it saw itself as a completely new country. It believed it was only bound by the international agreements it chose to accept.

Kampuchea/Cambodia: UN Seat Disputes

When the People's Republic of Kampuchea took power in Cambodia (then called Kampuchea), the United Nations seat was held by the previous government, Democratic Kampuchea, for many years. Now, the seat is held by the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Korea: An Illegal Occupation?

The modern Republic of Korea (South Korea) believes that Japan's control of Korea from 1910 to 1945 was an illegal occupation. Because of this, South Korea claims it is a direct continuation of Korea's status before 1910. It rejoined international groups and confirmed that pre-1910 agreements were still valid.

Turkey: A New Nation or Old Empire?

There's a discussion about whether modern Turkey is a continuation of the Ottoman Empire or a completely new country. The two sides even fought each other during the Turkish War of Independence. The new republic was formed by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his supporters. This question is important for issues like Armenian genocide reparations.

Pakistan: A New Member

When Pakistan was created in 1947, it thought it would automatically be a member of the United Nations. However, the UN said that Pakistan was a new country that had broken off from India. India continued to be the same country, just with less land. So, Pakistan had to apply for UN membership, just like Bangladesh later did.

Russia and the Soviet Union: Taking Over the Seat

The Russian SFSR within the Soviet Union in 1922–1924

The Russian SFSR within the Soviet Union in 1956–1991

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian Federation took over the Soviet Union's seat at the United Nations, including its permanent spot on the United Nations Security Council. This was supported by the other former Soviet countries. Russia was the largest part of the Soviet Union in terms of economy, population, and land.

However, some countries like Ukraine and the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) claimed that their time as part of the Soviet Union was an illegal occupation. They said they were continuing their status from before 1940 and were not successor states to the Soviet Union. This meant they could restart diplomatic relations and rejoin international groups as if they were picking up where they left off.

Yugoslavia: A Complex Breakup

When Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia broke up, several new countries formed. The remaining part, renamed the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, claimed it was the continuation of the old Yugoslavia. However, the UN and the new independent countries disagreed.

The UN decided that the old Yugoslavia had dissolved, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia had to apply to be a new member. Later, the countries that came from Yugoslavia signed an agreement in 2001. This agreement confirmed that five separate, equal countries were formed when Yugoslavia dissolved.

Images for kids

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  The Russian SFSR within the Soviet Union in 1922–1924

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  The Russian SFSR within the Soviet Union in 1956–1991

See also

• International law
• Vienna Convention on Succession of States in respect of Treaties
• State continuity of the Baltic states
• Rump state