If geographic map practically does not change over the years, the political map of the world is undergoing changes that are noticeable even to people who have lived no more than half a century. I propose for review the TOP 10 countries that disappeared from the world map in the last century for one reason or another.
10. German Democratic Republic (GDR), 1949-1990
Established after World War II in a sector controlled by the Soviet Union, the German Democratic Republic was best known for its Wall and its tendency to shoot people who tried to get over it.
The wall was torn down with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990. After its demolition, Germany united and again became a whole state. However, in the beginning, due to the fact that the German Democratic Republic was rather poor, unification with the rest of Germany almost ruined the country. On this moment in Germany everything was fine.
9. Czechoslovakia, 1918-1992
Built on the ruins of an old Austro-Hungarian Empire, during its existence, Czechoslovakia was one of the most vibrant democracies in Europe before the Second World War. Betrayed by Britain and France in 1938 in Munich, she was completely occupied by Germany and disappeared from the world map by March 1939. Later, she was occupied by the Soviets, who made her one of the vassals of the USSR. She was in the sphere of influence Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991. After the collapse, it again became a prosperous democratic state.
This story should have ended there, and, probably, the state would have been intact to this day if the ethnic Slovaks living in the eastern half of the country had not demanded secession into an independent state, dividing Czechoslovakia in two in 1992.
Today, Czechoslovakia no longer exists, in its place there is the Czech Republic in the west and Slovakia in the east. Although, given the fact that the Czech economy is booming, Slovakia, which is not doing so well, probably regrets secession.
8. Yugoslavia, 1918-1992
Just like Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia was a product of the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire as a result of World War II. Consisting mainly of parts of Hungary and the original territory of Serbia, Yugoslavia, unfortunately, did not follow the more intelligent example of Czechoslovakia. Instead, it was something of an autocratic monarchy before the Nazis invaded the country in 1941. After that, it was under German occupation. After the defeat of the Nazis in 1945, Yugoslavia did not become part of the USSR, but became a communist country under the leadership of the socialist dictator, Marshal Josip Tito, leader of the partisan army during World War II. Yugoslavia remained a non-aligned authoritarian socialist republic until 1992, when internal conflicts and intransigent nationalism erupted into civil war. After it, the country broke up into six small states (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia and Montenegro), becoming a clear example of what can happen if cultural, ethnic and religious assimilation goes wrong.
7. Austro-Hungarian Empire, 1867-1918
While all the countries that found themselves on the side of the losers after the First World War found themselves in an unsightly economic and geographical location, none of them lost more than the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which was gnawed like a roast turkey in a homeless shelter. From the collapse of the once huge empire, such modern countries as Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia emerged, and part of the lands of the empire went to Italy, Poland and Romania.
So why did it fall apart while its neighbor, Germany, remained intact? Yes, because it did not have a common language and self-determination, instead, various ethnic and religious groups lived in it, which, to put it mildly, did not get along with each other. In general, the Austro-Hungarian Empire endured what Yugoslavia endured, only on a much larger scale, when it was torn apart by ethnic hatred. The only difference was that the Austro-Hungarian Empire was torn apart by the victors, while the disintegration of Yugoslavia was internal and spontaneous.
6. Tibet, 1913-1951
Although the territory known as Tibet existed for more than a thousand years, it failed to become independent state until 1913. However, under the peaceful tutelage of a number of Dalai Lamas, it eventually clashed with Communist China in 1951 and was occupied by Mao's forces, thus ending its brief existence as a sovereign state. In the 1950s, China occupied Tibet, which grew more and more unrest, until Tibet finally rebelled in 1959. This led China to annex the region and dissolve the Tibetan government. Thus, Tibet ceased to exist as a country and instead became a "region", instead of a country. Today, Tibet is a huge tourist attraction for the Chinese government, even though there is a feud between Beijing and Tibet, due to the fact that Tibet again demands to return its independence.
5. South Vietnam, 1955-1975
South Vietnam was created by forcibly expelling the French from Indochina in 1954. Someone decided that dividing Vietnam into two parts around the 17th parallel would be a good idea, leaving Communist Vietnam in the north and pseudo-democratic Vietnam in the south. As in the case of Korea, nothing good came of it. The situation led to a war between South and North Vietnam, which eventually involved the United States. This war became for the United States of America one of the most devastating and costly wars in which America has ever taken part. In the end, torn apart by internal divisions, America withdrew its troops from Vietnam and left it to itself in 1973. For two years, Vietnam, divided in two, fought until North Vietnam, backed by the Soviet Union, seized control of the country, eliminating South Vietnam forever. The capital of the former South Vietnam, Saigon, was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Since then, Vietnam has been a socialist utopia.
4. United Arab Republic, 1958-1971
This is another failed attempt to unite the Arab world. The Egyptian president, an ardent socialist, Gamel Abdel Nasser, believed that unification with Egypt's distant neighbor, Syria, would lead to the fact that their common enemy, Israel, would be surrounded on all sides, and that the united country would become super- strength of the region. Thus, the short-lived United Arab Republic was created, an experiment that was doomed to fail from the start. Separated by several hundred kilometers, creating a centralized government seemed an impossible task, plus Syria and Egypt could never agree on what the national priorities were.
The problem would be solved if Syria and Egypt united and destroyed Israel. But their plans were thwarted by the inopportune Six Day War of 1967, which ruined their joint border plans and turned the United Arab Republic into a defeat of biblical proportions. After that, the days of the union were numbered, and, in the end, the UAR fell apart with the death of Nasser in 1970. Without a charismatic Egyptian president to maintain a fragile alliance, the UAR quickly disintegrated, re-establishing Egypt and Syria as separate states.
3. Ottoman Empire, 1299-1922
One of the greatest empires in the history of mankind, the Ottoman Empire collapsed in November 1922, after a fairly long existence of over 600 years. It once stretched from Morocco to the Persian Gulf and from Sudan to Hungary. Its disintegration was the result of a long process of disintegration over many centuries, by the beginning of the 20th century only a shadow of its former glory remained from it.
But even then it remained an influential force in the Middle East and North Africa, and most likely would have remained so today if it had not participated in the First World War on the losing side. After the First World War, it was disbanded, its largest part (Egypt, Sudan and Palestine) went to England. In 1922, it became useless and eventually collapsed completely when the Turks won their war of independence in 1922 and terrified the Sultanate, creating modern Turkey along the way. However, the Ottoman Empire deserves respect for its continued existence no matter what.
2. Sikkim, 8th century AD-1975
Have you never heard of this country? Where have you been all this time? Well, seriously, how could you not know about small, landlocked Sikkim, nestled safely in the Himalayas between India and Tibet...that is, China. The size of a hot dog stand, it was one of those unknown, forgotten monarchies that managed to hold out until the 20th century, when its citizens realized that they had no particular reason to remain an independent state, and decided to unite with modern India in 1975.
What was remarkable about this small state? Yes, because, despite his incredibly small size, he had eleven official languages, which probably created chaos when signing road signs - this is assuming that there were roads in Sikkim.
1. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soviet Union), 1922-1991
It is difficult to imagine the history of the world without the participation of the Soviet Union in it. One of the most powerful countries on the planet, which collapsed in 1991, for seven decades it has been a symbol of friendship between peoples. It was formed after the collapse Russian Empire after the First World War and flourished for many decades. The Soviet Union defeated the Nazis when the efforts of all other countries were insufficient to stop Hitler. The Soviet Union almost went to war with the United States in 1962, an event called the Caribbean Crisis.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, after the fall Berlin Wall in 1989, it split into fifteen sovereign states, thus creating the largest bloc of countries since the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. Now the main successor to the Soviet Union is democratic Russia.
From the division of Europe to the division of the world
The redistribution of Europe began even before World War II hit it like a bolt from the blue. The USSR and Germany signed the famous non-aggression pact, also called the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which became infamous because of its secret addition, a protocol defining the spheres of influence of the two powers.
Russia, according to the protocol, "departed" Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Bessarabia and the east of Poland, and Germany - Lithuania and the west of Poland. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Polish territories, marking the beginning of the Second World War and the great redistribution of land.
However, after Germany was recognized as the only aggressor in World War II, the victorious countries had to agree on how to distribute territories between themselves and the defeated.
The most famous meeting, which influenced the further course of history and largely determined the features of modern geopolitics, was the Yalta Conference, which took place in February 1945. The conference was a meeting of the heads of three countries anti-Hitler coalition- USSR, USA and Great Britain in the Livadia Palace. The USSR was represented by Joseph Stalin, the USA by Franklin Roosevelt, and the UK by Winston Churchill.
The conference was held during the war, but it was already obvious to everyone that Hitler must be defeated: the allied forces were already waging war on enemy territory, advancing on all fronts. It was absolutely necessary to redraw the world in advance, since, on the one hand, the lands occupied by National Socialist Germany needed a new demarcation, and on the other hand, the alliance of the West with the USSR after the loss of the enemy was already becoming obsolete, and therefore a clear division of spheres of influence was a priority.
The goals of all countries were, of course, completely different. If it was important for the United States to involve the USSR in the war with Japan in order to end it faster, then Stalin wanted the allies to recognize the right of the USSR to the recently annexed Baltic states, Bessarabia and eastern Poland. One way or another, everyone wanted to create their own spheres of influence: for the USSR, it was a kind of buffer from controlled states, the GDR, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Yugoslavia.
Among other things, the USSR also demanded the return to their state of former citizens who emigrated to Europe. It was important for Great Britain to maintain influence in Europe and prevent the penetration of the Soviet Union there.
Other goals of the neat division of the world were to maintain a stable state of calm, as well as to prevent destructive wars in the future. That is why the United States especially cherished the idea of creating the United Nations.
AiF correspondent Georgy Zotov: “If the consequences of May 9, 1945 are so bad, illegal and terrible, then all other actions of the USSR during that period are no better. Can the decisions of those who brought tyranny to your land be good? Therefore, Poland must give Silesia, Pomerania and Prussia back to the Germans, Ukraine to return its western part Poles, Chernivtsi - Romanians, Transcarpathia - Hungarians, Lithuania to abandon Vilnius and Klaipeda, Romania - from Transylvania, Czech Republic - from Sudetenland and Teshin, Bulgaria - from Dobruja. And then everything will be absolutely fair ... "
Expert opinion
Rudolf Pihoya, historian:
- There is a semi-legendary story that during the visit Churchill to Moscow in 1944, he and Stalin at dinner they drew a map of the division of post-war Europe on an ordinary napkin. Eyewitnesses claimed that the "document" contained a number of figures that (in percentage terms) reflected the degree of future influence of the USSR and the West in different regions: Bulgaria and Romania - 90 to 10, Greece - 10 to 90, Yugoslavia - equally ...
That napkin has not been preserved, but in principle the issue of changing borders in Europe was resolved by the "Big Three" - Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill - during the Tehran and Yalta conferences. The USSR adhered to the concept, which was developed back in 1944 Deputy Commissar for Foreign Affairs I. Maisky. It consisted in the fact that the USSR should create for itself such a configuration of borders that would ensure the country's security for at least 25, and preferably 50 years.
In accordance with Maisky's concept, the USSR annexed the former German Memel, which became the Lithuanian Klaipeda. Königsberg (Kaliningrad), Pillau (Baltiysk) and Tilsit (Sovetsk) became Soviet, which still make up the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation. The USSR also secured a part of the territory of Finland, annexed as a result of " winter war". At all Soviet policy of those years was remarkable for its amazing consistency in solving territorial issues. The only thing that could not be done was to seize the Black Sea straits, although this issue was discussed both in Tehran and Yalta. But Port Arthur again, as in the early twentieth century, became the outpost of the country in the Far East, not to mention the southern part of Sakhalin and Kuril Islands lost by Russia as a result of the Russo-Japanese War.
P After World War II, the geopolitical map of the world was completely changed.
For the first time in 1000 years, continental Europe turned out to be dependent on the will of two superpowers - the USSR and the USA. Modern Europe has forgotten about this, its memory is short. AND former countries the socialist camps forgot how and who slaughtered large enough territories for them, for which it was not their blood that shed, but soviet soldier. I propose to remember how it was and who and what received from the USSR, from the generosity of the broad Soviet soul ...
Poland likes to remember the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which became important because of the secret addition on the definition of the spheres of influence of the two powers.
The USSR, according to the protocol, "departed" Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Bessarabia and the east of Poland, and Germany - Lithuania and the west of Poland.
The fact that the USSR took Western Belarus and Western Ukraine is considered unfair in Poland, but they have no complaints about the transfer of the USSR to the Poles of Silesia and Pomerania. The division of Poland under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact is bad. But nothing that before that Poland itself participated in such a section?
Polish Marshal Edward Rydz-Smigly (right) and German Major General Bogislaw von Studnitz
On September 5, 1938, the Polish ambassador Lukasiewicz offered Hitler a military alliance with Poland in the fight against the USSR. Poland was not only a victim, she herself, together with Hungary in October 1938, supported the Nazis in territorial claims against Czechoslovakia and occupied part of the Czech and Slovak lands, including the areas of Cieszyn Silesia, Orava and Spis.
On September 29, 1938, the Munich Agreement was held between British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, French Prime Minister Edouard Daladier, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler and Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini. The agreement concerned the transfer of the Sudetenland by Czechoslovakia to Germany.
Poland even threatened to declare war on the USSR if it tried to send troops through Polish territory to help Czechoslovakia. And the Soviet government made a statement to the government of Poland that any attempt by Poland to occupy part of Czechoslovakia would annul the non-aggression pact. They occupied. So what did the Poles want from the USSR? Get it, sign up!
Poland liked to divide neighboring countries. The report of the 2nd department (intelligence department) of the main headquarters of the Polish Army in December 1938 literally said the following: “The dismemberment of Russia lies at the heart of Polish policy in the East. Therefore, our possible position will be reduced to the following formula: who will take part in the division. Poland must not remain passive at this remarkable historical moment.” The main task of the Poles is to prepare well in advance for this. The main goal of Poland is "weakening and defeat of Russia" .
On January 26, 1939, Jozef Beck informed the German Foreign Minister that Poland would lay claim to Soviet Ukraine and access to the Black Sea. On March 4, 1939, the Polish military command prepared a plan for war with the USSR "Vostok" ("Vskhud"). But somehow it did not work out ... the Polish lip collapsed after half a year thanks to the Wehrmacht, which began to lay claim to the whole of Poland. The Germans themselves needed black soil and access to the Black Sea. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Polish territories, marking the beginning of the Second World War and the great redistribution of land.
And then it was heavy and bloody war... and it was clear to all peoples that as a result of its results, the world was waiting for big changes.
The most famous meeting, which influenced the further course of history and largely determined the features of modern geopolitics, was the Yalta Conference, which took place in February 1945. The conference was a meeting of the heads of the three countries of the anti-Hitler coalition - the USSR, the USA and Great Britain in the Livadia Palace.
"Poland is the hyena of Europe." (C) Churchill. This is a quote from his book "The Second World War". If literally:" ... Poland only six months ago, with the greed of a hyena, took part in the robbery and destruction of the Czechoslovak state ... "
As a result of the Second World War, the communist tyrant Stalin added German Silesia, Pomerania, as well as 80% East Prussia. Poland received the cities of Breslau, Gdansk, Zielona Gora, Legnica, Szczecin. The USSR also gave the territory of Bialystok and the city of Klodzsko, disputed with Czechoslovakia. Stalin also had to pacify the leadership of the GDR, which did not want to give Szczecin to the Poles. The issue was finally resolved only in 1956.
The Baltics are also greatly outraged by the occupation. But the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, was donated to the republic under the USSR. This is a Polish city and the Lithuanian population of Vilnius was then 1%, and the Polish population was the majority. The USSR also gave them the city of Klaipeda (Prussian Memel), previously annexed by the Third Reich. The leadership of Lithuania in 1991 condemned the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, but for some reason no one returned Vilnius to Poland and Klaipeda to the FRG.
The Romanians fought against the USSR, but thanks to the USSR they managed to get back the province of Transylvania, which Hitler took in favor of Hungary.
Thanks to Stalin, Bulgaria retained Southern Dobruja (formerly Romania).
If the inhabitants of Königsberg (which became the Soviet Kaliningrad) moved to the GDR for 6 years (until 1951), then Poland and Czechoslovakia did not stand on ceremony with the Germans - 2-3 months and go home. And some Germans were even given 24 hours to pack, allowed to take only a suitcase of things, and forced to walk hundreds of kilometers.
Ukraine, in general, is a country - sweetie, receiving more and more new lands with each Russian occupation))
Maybe she will give the Poles its western part with Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil (these cities were included by the aggressors into the Ukrainian SSR in 1939), Romania - the Chernivtsi region (withdrew to the Ukrainian SSR on August 2, 1940), and Hungary or Slovakia - Transcarpathia received on June 29, 1945?
After the war, the world was under the protection of the Yalta-Potsdam system, and Europe was artificially divided into two camps, one of which was under the control of the USSR until 1990-1991...
In the first picture, a map from the American magazine "Look" dated March 14, 1937. G ie pictures and photos from the Internet.
Source of information: Wiki, sites
