Can global demilitarization be a reality?
Demilitarization and DMZ
Demilitarization is the reduction of a nation's army, weapons, or military vehicles to an agreed minimum. Demilitarization is usually the result of a peace treaty ending a war or a major conflict. Demilitarization was a policy in a number of countries after both world wars.
In military terms, a demilitarized zone (DMZ) is an area, usually the frontier or boundary between two or more military powers (or alliances), where military activity is not permitted, usually by peace treaty, armistice, or other bilateral or multilateral agreement. Often the demilitarized zone lies upon a line of control and forms a de-facto international border.
Historical Examples of Demilitarization
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of World War I were dealt with in separate treaties. Although the armistice signed on 11 November 1918, ended the actual fighting, it took six months of negotiations at the Paris Peace Conference to conclude the peace treaty. The treaty was registered by the Secretariat of the League of Nations on 21 October 1919, and was printed in The League of Nations Treaty Series.
Of the many provisions in the treaty, one of the most important and controversial required Germany to accept responsibility for causing the war (along with Austria and Hungary, according to the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the Treaty of Trianon) and, under the terms of articles 231–248 (later known as the War Guilt clauses), to disarm, make substantial territorial concessions and pay heavy reparations to certain countries that had formed the Entente powers. The total cost of these reparations was assessed at 132 billion Marks (then $31.4 billion, £6.6 billion) in 1921 which is roughly equivalent to US $442 billion or UK £284 billion in 2012, a sum that many economists at the time, notably John Maynard Keynes, deemed to be excessive and counterproductive and would have taken Germany until 1988 to pay. The final payments ended up being made on 4 October 2010, the 20th anniversary of German reunification, and some 92 years after the end of the war for which they were exacted. The Treaty was undermined by subsequent events starting as early as 1932 and was widely flouted by the mid-1930s.
The result of these competing and sometimes conflicting goals among the victors was compromise that left none contented: Germany was not pacified or conciliated, nor permanently weakened. This would prove to be a factor leading to later conflicts, notably and directly World War II.
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was a treaty to limit naval construction and prevent an arms race among the victorious powers in the wake of World War I. The treaty was negotiated at the Washington Naval Conference, which was held in Washington, D.C. from November 1921 to February 1922, and signed by Britain, the USA, Japan, France and Italy. It limited the construction of battleships, battle cruisers and aircraft carriers by the signatories. The numbers of other categories of warships, including cruisers, destroyers and submarines, were not limited by the treaty but could only be built up to 10,000 tons displacement.
The treaty was followed by a number of other naval arms limitation conferences, which sought to extend or tighten limitations on warship building. The terms of the treaty were modified by the London Naval Treaty of 1930 and the Second London Naval Treaty of 1936. However, by the mid-1930s, Japan and Italy had indicated their withdrawal from the Treaties, and naval arms limitation increasingly became a dead letter.
Chemical Weapons Convention
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is an arms control agreement which outlaws the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons. Its full name is the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction. The agreement is administered by the Organization (OPCW), which is an independent organization based in The Hague, Netherlands.
The main obligation under the convention is the prohibition of use and production of chemical weapons, as well as the destruction of all chemical weapons. The destruction activities are verified by the OPCW. As of July 2010, around 60% of the (declared) stockpile of chemical weapons has thus been destroyed. The convention also has provisions for systematic evaluation of chemical and military plants, as well as for investigations of allegations of use and production of chemical weapons based on intelligence of other state parties.
As of August 2010, 188 states are party to the CWC, and another two countries have signed but not yet ratified the convention.
Analysis of the Current World Situation with regards to demilitarization
Today most nations realize the urgent need for demilitarization, preventing conflicts and giving the message of peace for future generations. Yet at the same time there are nations engaged in developing armies, designing modern weapons and giving the most undesired gift of war to the world. These nations must be stopped at all cost and their ways must be reformed for the greater good. This is the challenge that is faced by United Nations. We must all act today for future generations and try to bring about total demilitarization and establish treaties that may not be broken by any nation.
The only question is whether all nations are willing to rise up and meet the challenges that will test our solidarity or will be fail like our ancestors?
