Page 437 - 1992 - XVIII Congresso Internazionale di Storia Militare

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ple's will, the respect for rhc self-detcrminarion of rhe pcople, rhe free access
to the inrernacional markets by ali Nations, rhe freedom of the oceans, the dis·
armamem by force of the warring powers;
the Casablanca, Quebec, Moscow, Cairo, Tehran. Qucbec again, Yalta :md POtS·
da m Conferences where the grand straregy was deiìned and the share of rcspon·
sibilitics was established;
the death of thc League of thc ations and the creat.ion of the United Nations:
the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Pian and the European Orgaoiz_arion for
Economica! Coopcration;
the Bcrlin Crisis;
the Brussels Treaty and the North Aùanric Treacy;
thc crcation of thc Council of Europe:
thc creation of thc European Coal and Sceel Communicy;
rhe failure of the Europea n Communicy of Defence and the escablishing of thc
Western European Union:
the Treacy of Rome far rhe Europea n Economie Community and for European
Aromic Encrgy Communicy;
che Convcntion for csmblishing the Europcan Free Tnule Arca;
rhe IMF issuc;
che Helsinki Conferenct:;
the Reykjavik Summit.
l n fact, ali thcsc evcncs, nnd 01hers no1 mcntioned hcre are charaClcrisric marks
of thc Euro-Adantic rclations.
In such a complex rela1ionship what was and what is the role of the Açores
Archi pelago?
Thc stra tesi c imporrance of thc Açores is intrinsic 10 its geographical position
and 10 itS clima1e.
The archi pelago is si1u:ued on rhe Nonhern Mid-Arlantic Ridge, bctwecn 36 °
56' 10 39° 44" of latitude, roughly che sa me as Wnshington and Lisbon, and 24°
46' 10 31° 16" of longirude, wh1ch menns an orienration dose 10 east-wesl. lr is
formed by nine principal islands spread our for more rhan 300 miles.
ince 1he fìf1cemh cenrury che Açores has always been a compulsory transir
point for the shipping 1har crossed che occan. le was a roure favoured by of the
wind and al an mrermediary discancc for a rese and replenishing water supplies.
Colombo noppcd rherc on his rerurn trip when America was discovercd. Ami Vas-
co da G~ma also, whcn was coming back afrer che discovery of India.
The area whcre the islands are sirua1ed was also a cemral region where some
intemacional piraces convcrgcd co auack shipping cspeciaUy chosc ships coming
from the New World. And ic ha~ also becn the scene of some mariti me dispuws.
As n mauer of faet, one of che major dispurcs in diplornaric rclations berwecn
du.~ United Statcs and Porcugal in the second half of che nineceenth cenrury was