| Show Governments of Many Nations Changed I As Liberating Liberat g Armies Advanced in 3 1944 I Common People cop e Get et Chance once f to o Establish Democratic States Governmental changes that shared world importance with the war news marked the year 1944 Iceland became a republic lic five Soviet Socialist republics republics republics again took their places inthe inthe in inthe the U U. U S. S S. S R. R four N Nazi Nazi- shackled countries were liberated liberated liberated liber liber- and three Axis satellites deserted A A end year end bulletin from the National Geographic society reviews these momentous momentous momentous momen momen- tous events On June 17 Iceland became a modern modem republic On that day the an an old 11 legislative legislative legisla tive body sometimes called the Grandmother of Parliaments elected the nations nation's former regent Sveinn Bjornsson president In a national election held In May the people had voted to dissolve their I union with Denmark First settled in and organized as a republic 56 years later Iceland was independent until 1263 when it joined with Norway Both Iceland I and nd Norway came under Danish I rule in 1381 Norway was separated separated sepa rated from Denmark by cession to Sweden in 1814 and the two countries countries countries coun coun- tries formed a union which lasted until 1905 when the union was ended ended ended end end- ed by mutual agreement Icelanders Iceland Iceland- ers had long agitated for independence ence but it was not realized until 1918 Iceland was then recognized as a separate kingdom with unlimited unlimited unlimited sovereignty Germany tried in prewar years to get control of ot this strategic North Atlantic island by establishing commercial commercial commercial com com- mercial routes British forces were sta stationed on the island shortly after atter the beginning of ot World War II They were replaced in 1941 by American units R enter Re-enter USSR Five other republics 1500 miles or Dr more to the east resumed their prewar status Estonia Latvia and I Lithuania freed treed from Nazi j Lion tion on again became a part of at the Soviet Union as Estonian Latvian and Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Re Re- publics All AU three had first entered the Union in 1940 The Finnish Republic far tar farther tarther ther to the north was the fourth tobe to tobe I be added to the Soviet family It I also had first entered the Union in I 1940 Its border city of ot I guards ards the western approach to the I city of ot Leningrad Russia's new I Arctic port of Petsamo acquired from rom Finland in hi September Septem Septem- ber extended Russian boundaries westward to Norway I The fifth th state restored to Russia In 1914 is the Soviet SocIalist Socialist Socialist So So- Republic a slice of ot territory lying between the Ukrainian Republic lic tic and Romania Once known as Bessa abia this area has experienced experienced experienced a round of governmental changes Before World War I it was Russian ground from 1918 1918 to 1940 It belong to Rom Romania a nia It wa was s turned back to Russia in 1940 andset andset and andset set up as a republic of ot the Union only to be reoccupied by Romania the next year I To four German dominated naI nations nations na na- I France Belgium Luxembourg Luxembourg Luxembourg Luxem Luxem- bourg and Greece Greece freedom freedom came toward the close of ot the year France whose liberation was heralded heralded her her- aided by Allied landings on the Normandy Normandy Nor Nor- mandy coast June 6 6 was almost completely free tree by the middle of September I General Charles de Committee Committee Committee Com Com- of ot National Liberation was wasi i j recognized on October 23 by the U.S. U.S. U.S. U. U S. S state department as the de facto I government of ot France On September Septem Septem- ber her 21 President Roosevelt appoint appoint- I 1 9 49 4 i r rf r t V. V 1 4 L y A F r 4 y a fir r I k 4 p ro roi i p The president of the newly established Icelandic republic Sveinn Bjornsson addresses the nation by radio on June Jane 17 1944 the day the Island dissolved its union with Denmark ed cd Jefferson Caffery former United States ambassador to Brazil as ambassador ambassador ambassador am am- to the French government now established in Paris On Armistice Armistice Armistice Ar Ar- day France was formally invited invited invited in in- to become a full fledged member member member mem mem- ber of ot the European advisory commission commission commission com com- mission meeting In London Belgium's Regent Belgium whose national liberation released its own governing agencies immediately took steps to restore its prewar standing In the ab ab- r fib s r a i Crown Prince Umberto was named Prince Lieutenant General of the Realm of or Ital Italy by his father King Victor Emanuel who abdicated when Allied troops entered the capital capital capi capi- tal in June 1944 sence Bence of ot King Leopold III held in Germany 41 year old Prince Charles brother of ot the king became became became be be- came Regent of ot the Realm to act until the king re returns urns In September the tiny Duchy of ot Luxembourg neighbor of ot France Belgium and Germany celebrated its freedom from tour four years of ot Nazi tyranny Allied fighting men landing in Greece in in October helped Greek patriots patriots patriots pa pa- to oust the Germans Internal political problems had divided the people into factions some opposing the return of ot the monarchy The cabinet decided to inform King George II in London that F J pIpII d A I K s sy F. F y I Y k J Y YI I I Gen Charles Do head of or the provisional government of France reviews the 1944 Armistice day parade In Paris flanked by Winston Winston Winston Win Win- ston Churchill and Anthony Eden of Great Britain France was formally invited to become a member of the European Advisory committee by byI the British statesmen I I tion of his powers was conditioned d on popular will Late in the year Netherlanders Netherlander s saw the beginning of the Allied attempt attempt at at- attempt tempt to smash the western anchor ancho r of ot the German defense system prelude pre lude to liberation From the southwest southwest south south- west Pacific came more good news s for tor for the first time in hi more than n four years the nations nation's flag flew over Hollandia in hi Netherlands New Neti v Guinea satellites Axis-satellites Finland Romania Romani a ath and Bulgaria broke their ties with th the Nazi government and move moved d toward agreements with the Allied Allie d powers Shifts Shirts in Italy King Victor Emanuel III stepped steppe d aside in favor of ot his year old son Umberto designated Prince Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieu Lieu- Lieutenant tenant General of ot the Realm Premier Premier Premier Pre Pre- mier Ivanoe Bonomi and his Italian Italia n cabinet contributed a novelty when n I they took office in June They di did d nd not take the customary oath to th the e crown instead they pledged themselves themselves themselves them them- selves to fulfill their duties according according according accord accord- ing to the constitution The United Unite d ds States resumed diplomatic relations relation s with Italy in October when Alexander Alexander Alexan Alexan- Alexander der G. G Kirk was named dor On November 10 the presidency cy of the Allied Commission for Italy Italy It Italy It- It aly was transferred from military militar Y to civilian direction The fledgling republic of ot Syria liberated from the Vichy-French Vichy i in n 1941 added to its territory the independent independent independent in in- dependent mountain mountain kingdom kingdom of J Jebel Jebel Je- Je ebel e- e bel Druz Its people dwellers in i n southern Syria voted to yield their r administrative and financial independence independence inde inde- independence and merge the management management management manage manage- ment of their affairs affairs' with the government government government gov gov- of Syria President Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt appointed George Wadsworth h minister to the republics of ot Syria Syri a and Lebanon Closer bonds between the United Unite d States and its African Liberia Liberia Liberia Li Li- beria were assured by the December December December Decem Decem- ber 1943 treaty the provisions o of ot f which were made public on October r 1 30 1944 The treaty stipulates that tha t all naval military and air installations installations installations will be supervised d by the U. U S S. S Significant changes took place i in n 1944 in the New world Argentina Argentin a abolished all political parties an and d instituted strict censorship of th the e press The tiny Atlantic island o of 01 i Bermuda modernized some of it its s ancient laws For Far the first time in inthe inthe i ithe n the three centuries of ot its history Y women were given the same voting g privileges as men i Philippines to Be Free Events in the Pacific area were wet e highlighted by the return to th the e Philippines of ot President Sergio Os Os- mena and his cabinet with the invasion invasion invasion in in- forces of ot Gen Douglas Mac Mac- MacArthur Arthur The presence of ot the official om cial was only suggestive of ot the resumption resumption resumption re re- of ot authority on home soil soU for it was understood that island affairs af of fairs will continue to be s from Washington The future status of ot the Philippines Philip Philippines pines was defined In hi two resolutions resolutions resolutions adopted by the U U. S. S congress and signed by President Roosevelt Roosevel t on June 30 These resolutions grant gran t Independence to the Islands as soon soot n as the Japs are ejected and provide provide provide pro pro- vide for tor defense by the construction n of ot United States military and nava naval 1 bases |
