This historical document is a treaty between the governments of the United States of America and the Kingdom of Denmark during the cold war. It was implemented in April 27, 1951 with the purpose of bringing the two governments into an agreement to strengthen the defense of Greenland. Both governments, being parties to the North Atlantic Treaty (1949) had a responsibility to contribute to the defense of Greenland, whose connection with Denmark had been severed in April 9, 1940 when the latter was occupied by the Nazis. The USA and Kingdom of Denmark governments had to come together to defend Greenland against possible invasion by Germany. This was in accordance to the NATO principles of self-help and mutual aid, and the treaty was to remain in effect for the duration of the North Atlantic Treaty. The treaty is divided into 14 articles, each laying down terms agreed upon by the two governments. Therefore, it is a prescriptive document that contains terms that were to be adhered to by the partied involved in the agreement. It was to be later signed in Copenhagen by authorized representatives of the USA and Kingdom of Denmark after confirming its authenticity. The treaty was written in duplicate of both English and Danish languages.
The document describes in detail the terms of agreement and lays down clearly the responsibilities of each party, giving reasons as to why they were to be accountable. In addition, it outlines the extent to which each party would adhere to these provisions. The first article of the treaty expresses the need for the two governments to unite in order to provide a collective defense against possible armed attacks. It provides for cases where the government of the USA would assist the Kingdom of Denmark’s government where the latter was unable to operate singlehandedly. When this was the case, the second article contains terms agreeable by both parties. The USA would provide help to maintain peace and security in Greenland and the rest of North Atlantic Treaty area. For instance, both governments agreed on four conditions, one of which was to allow the flags of both countries to fly over the defense areas (Part 1). Also, the two agreed to divide the responsibility of operation and maintenance of the defense area (Part 2). The third condition gives provisions that would apply where the government of the USA would take over the responsibility of operation and maintenance of the defense area. The last condition provides for when the government of Kingdom of Denmark would take over this responsibility, listing further provisions for each case. Article III gives the terms whereupon the USA government would relinquish command of Gronnedal naval base to the government of Kingdom of Denmark as a fulfillment of the NATO plans. This is also in connection to the provisions of Article IV which allowed for vessels of both government to access the defense areas.
Further provisions are listed in Articles V- XIV, all in line with NATO regulations. Article V gives directions for when the government of Kingdom of Denmark would provide meteorological and topographical data of Greenland to the government of the USA. It also gave freedom to the USA government to operate its vessels in the defense territory in accordance to the provisions of Article IV. The Sixth article states the agreement reached by the two governments on abiding by the local law. The USA government agreed to fully cooperate with the local government and urged its nationals in Greenland to obey the laws and customs of the local population. Articles VI to XI, respectively, provide for taxation on imports, areas of jurisdiction, admission or departure from defense territories, NATO agreements pertaining to Articles VII, VIII and IX, and ownership of property. Article XII states that the existing agreements by the two governments in relation to the defense of Greenland would cease to exist once this treaty was signed and implemented. While article VIII gives further directions on the interpretation of these agreements, the last article proves the credibility of this document. It states that the treaty is subject to parliamentary approval in Denmark and it would come into effect once signed by both parties.
There are important political concepts contained in this document. For instance, according to Article II, 3(a), the Danish commander-in-chief was given power to appoint a military officer over the defense area with whom the USA commanding officer would consult on local matters. And vice versa, Article II, 4(a) gave the same powers to the USA commander-in-chief. The treaty, according to Article I, also allocated power to the two governments to take any measures necessary to ensure safety and security in the defense area, provided these measures were in line with the NATO regulations. On the concept of authority, the treaty states that the USA government should adhere to the local rules and regulations. Additionally, its nationals within Greenland should follow these customs and regulations (Article VI). According to Article VIII, ‘the USA government has the authority to exercise exclusive jurisdiction over those defense areas in Greenland for which it is responsible under Article II (3)’.The actions of the two governments would be termed legitimate if they are in line with the provisions of the North Atlantic Treaty. Finally, this treaty would take effect once approved by the parliament and signed by the representatives of both governments.
In conclusion, the agreement between the United States and the Kingdom of Denmark proves that it was necessary to form a collective defense for Greenland so as to promote security in the area. This document matters because it helped to maintain peace in the area during the cold war and prevented loss of lives which could have been caused by war. It also solved the drawbacks contained in the initially existing agreements which proved to be ineffective. It does not contain any major limitations because it was drafted by diplomacy specialists and later approved by the parliament. This historical document is therefore a credible source of information.
