Question

As World War II finally ground to a halt in September, 1945, there was the enormous task of thinking about the post-war world. Europe and Asia were in shambles. And when the guns fell silent, it wasn’t as if everyone was happy. There was considerable mistrust, animosity, political intrigue and ideological differences. There was the already simmering conflict between the West (the US, England, and France…democratic countries) and the Soviet Union (a communist nation). As peace agreements took place, the map of the world changed to reflect the US versus Soviet split.

Your assignment, you can do this multiple ways…you need to look at the changes in national borders after WWII. To do this, you need to look at national borders prior to the war and compare them to those after the peace accords. You need to note the significant changes and give specific examples. You can do this in chart or paragraph form!

Answer 1

South America

A ceasefire signed between Paraguay and Bolivia awards Paraguay three-quarters of the Chaco Boreal which it took over during the Chaco War (1932–35).

The Rio Protocol recognizes Peru as having control of the territory it won in the Ecuadorian–Peruvian War.

The colony of British Guiana gained independence from the United Kingdom as Guyana.

The Dutch constituent country of Suriname gains independence from the Kingdom of the Netherlands as the Republic of Suriname. North America

The Imperial Privy Council of the United Kingdom establishes the boundaries of the Dominion of Newfoundland and Canada, in particular, the province of Quebec, which affirmed that territories claimed by Quebec were part of Newfoundland. Previous maps showed the disputed territory as undefined.

The Dominion of Newfoundland joins Canada. The territory is now called Newfoundland and Labrador.

Jamaica gained independence from the United Kingdom.

Trinidad and Tobago gained independence from the United Kingdom.

Barbados gained independence from the United Kingdom.

The Commonwealth of The Bahamas gains independence from the United Kingdom.

Grenada gains independence from the United Kingdom.

The town of Río Rico, Tamaulipas is ceded into Mexico from the US.

The Commonwealth of Dominica gains independence from the United Kingdom.

Saint Lucia gained independence from the United Kingdom.

The British self-governing colony of British Honduras gains independence as Belize.

Antigua and Barbuda gained independence from the United Kingdom.

The Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis gains independence from the United Kingdom.

Aruba secedes from the Netherlands Antilles to become a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Nunavut was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act

Panama Canal Zone returns from joint US–Panamanian control to Panamanian control. A previous important development was the 1979 change from US control to joint US–Panama control, with plans for full Panamanian sovereignty at some point after that.