Antarctic Treaty - Interesting Tidbit (Provisions update!)

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Deacon Blues
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Antarctic Treaty - Interesting Tidbit (Provisions update!)

Here's something that I wasn't really aware of regarding the Antarctic Treaty.
The treaty acknowledges the banning of colony drops and nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Furthermore, the important matter is that the Federation recognized the Principality as an independent state. However, this clause is not stipulated in the treaty. However, wartime treaties are usually concluded between nations. In other words, the Antarctic Treaty itself was the definitive separator of the nations who compose the Principality and the Federation. It is this which calls the fight between both sides a "war" and not a "civil war". Through this treaty, the Principality of Zeon was able to achieve "freedom from Federation control", a war objective, in addition to being acknowledged as an independent state.
*cues the more you know*

So, Side 3 essentially achieved what it set out to do, but Gihren being the whacko that he is set out to destroy the Federation at all costs.

Gotta love them dictators.
Last edited by Deacon Blues on Thu Feb 16, 2012 5:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
nacho-wan
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Re: Antarctic Treaty - Interesting Tidbit

I guess the Feddies that signed the treaty slept over International Law classes. However, this is hollow victory for Zeon as it represented a tacit acceptance rather than recognition
Aun cuando mil millones de personas acepten una idea absurda, sigue siendo absurda.
Although a thousand million people accept an absurd idea, it still is an absurd idea
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Cardi Doorl
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Re: Antarctic Treaty - Interesting Tidbit

I'm curious about where that text comes from.
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Deacon Blues
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Re: Antarctic Treaty - Interesting Tidbit

The Gundam Perfect Files (old edition).

Further tidbits:
This conference was held at the request of the Principality. Their goal was a conclusion in the early stages of the cease-fire agreement with the Federation based on their military gains at the battle of Loum. The reason why the Principality sped up the conclusion of the agreement is because a great number of their officers and men, mainly mobile suit pilots, were lost at the battle of Loum and they lacked the fighting power to carry out a third colony drop. However, the Federation had a hard time understanding this information and the Principality pressed for a conclusion of the cease-fire agreement which in reality treated the Federation as a defeated country while suggesting another colony drop. The Federation government and senior military officials were leaning toward concluding the cease-fire agreement because of General Revil's capture as well as overestimating the fighting forces of the Principality. However, a situation occurred during the conference that undermined that. A rescue operation of General Revil, which proceeded amidst absolute secrecy since 01.22, was a success. Following his escape from Side 3, General Revil gave a speech to the entire Earth Sphere detailing the true state of affairs of the Principality. It was none other than his "Zeon is exhausted" speech. The Federation government and military took this as a decision to continue the war and the Antarctic Treaty, which should have been a cease-fire agreement, was concluded as a wartime treaty.
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Re: Antarctic Treaty - Interesting Tidbit

Rather interesting. Aside from economic sanctions (unless I'm misremembering), it seems like the Feds were pretty content to just ignore Side 3 for several years. This implicit recognition of sovereignty via choice to negotiate does seem like an interesting angle to take on the Antarctic Treaty. Certainly the one point where the Principality could pretty much force the Federation to capitulate to its demands as well. With so many dead, it's hard to imagine what sort of shock the world was in...the air of January 0079 must have been downright apocalyptic.

The whole "Zeon is exhausted" speech by Revil is also a very good piece to read up on for some perspective on the early OYW. If anyone hasn't read it yet, I highly reccomend it. It was included in Tomino's novelization, and I think Gundam wiki has it on their Revil page.

As for the treaty itself, does anyone remember the various provisions it contained? I remember something about it also reinforcing the neutral status of the Jupiter fleet and Side 6.

The treaty is one of the more interesting subjects from the OYW, I think, even if it's pretty obscure to the average viewer. It definitely represents a significant tipping point, an event in Gundam's backstory that could have altered history significantly depending on the outcome. If Ghiren hadn't been such a bastard, or if Revil hadn't been rescued...it's fun to speculate on where things would have gone. So much could have changed.
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Deacon Blues
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Re: Antarctic Treaty - Interesting Tidbit (Provisions update

Since you asked...

[1] PROHIBITING THE USE OF WEAPONS OF MASS-DESTRUCTION
  • - Banning the Use of NBC Weapons

    A ban on the use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons was prescribed. Learning from the examples set by the One Week War and the Battle of Loum, NBC weapons inflicted fatal damage on the colonies. Therefore, the Principality considered including this clause in fear of retaliatory measures by the Federation Forces.

    - Banning of Massive Drop Tactics

    Tactics involving the dropping of massive objects like colonies and asteroids was prohibited. Although this was considered as a request by the Federation Forces, there was an understanding that the Principality laxked reserve power to carry out a new colony drop.
[2] BANNING ATTACKS TOWARD SPECIFIC AREAS, TARGETS
  • - Restricting Military Activities in Neutral Territories

    Hostilities and base usage in regions declared neutral was completely prohibited (unit passage through and layovers permitted). As a result of this the buffer zone free of military footholds became scattered; an advantageous clause for the Federation Forces who were on the defensive.

    - Banning Attacks Toward Lunar Cities

    Following the outbreak of the One Year War, attacks towards lunar cities was prohibited, with the exception of the Principality Forces occupied Granada. For both the Federation and the Principality, this was assumed to be a result from fear over a deterioration of lunar city relations which was critical for economic activity in the Earth Sphere.

    - Banning Attacks Towards the Jupiter Resource Fleet

    Attacks against the Jupiter Resource Fleet was prohibited as they transported Helium-3, an essential material for nuclear fusion. This was due in part because nuclear fusion power was a rival energy supply source to solar power, and also the source of power behind military vessels and mobile suits.
[3] AGREEMENTS ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF OFFICERS AND MEN
  • - Treatment of Prisoners

    Within the treaty, stipulations are outlined regarding interrogation, distinction based on rank, as well as meals for prisoners. This uses the Geneva Convention from the old century as a base but rather than consider it a new clause, its was reaffirmed with a stronger meaning.
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Brave Fencer Kirby
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Re: Antarctic Treaty - Interesting Tidbit (Provisions update

That seems a bit silly. Side 3 had been independent for 20 years by the time the One Year War rolled around, and I don't think either side disputed that fact. After all, you don't place economic sanctions or build up a military force to deal with your own citizens. I don't really see how making a treaty with Side 3 without officially acknowledging them as an independent nation is any different than any of the other ways the Federation treated Side 3 as an independent nation without officially acknowledging them as such.
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