Saar (League of Nations)

The Territory of the Saar Basin
Saarbeckengebiet (de)
Le Territoire du Bassin de la Sarre (fr)

1920–1935
Flag Coat of arms
Map of the region. The territory is shown in purple.
Capital Saarbrücken
Political structure Special territory
Commission Chairman
 - 1920-1926 Victor Rault
 - 1926-1927 George Washington Stephens (junior)
 - 1927-1932 Sir Ernest Collins Wilton
 - 1932-1935 Sir Geoffrey Knox
Historical era Interwar period
 - Treaty of Versailles January 10, 1920 1920
 - Plebiscite January 13, 1935
 - Disestablished March 1, 1935 1935
Population
 - 1933 est. 812,000 
Currency Saar franc

The Territory of the Saar Basin (in French: Le Territoire du Bassin de la Sarre, in German: Saarbeckengebiet), also referred as the Saar or Saargebiet, was a region of Germany that was occupied and governed by Britain and France from 1920 to 1935 under a League of Nations mandate, with the occupation originally being under the auspices of the Treaty of Versailles.[1] Its population in 1933 was 812,000, and its capital was Saarbrücken.[2] It corresponds to the modern German state of Saarland, but is slightly smaller in area.[3] After a plebiscite was held in 1935, it was restored to Germany.

Contents

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Commission of Government

Under the Treaty of Versailles the highly industrialized Saarland was to be occupied and governed by Britain and France under a League of Nations mandate for a period of 15 years, and its coalfields ceded to France. During this time the Saarland was governed by a 5 person Commission made up of representatives of the occupation forces. Under the terms of the mandate the Commission had to include at least one French person and one German resident of the Saar.[4] At the end of that time a plebiscite was to determine the Saar's future status. It comprised portions of the Prussian Rhine Province and the Bavarian Palatinate of the Rhine. It had a currency, the Saar franc, and a postage stamp during this period.

Chairman of the Commission

The Saar region was governed by the following Chairman of the Commission of Government:

Plebiscite

In 1933, a considerable number of political opponents of National Socialism moved to the Saar, as it was the only part of Germany that remained under foreign occupation following the First World War. As a result, anti-Nazi groups agitated for the Saarland to remain under British and French occupation under a League of Nations mandate. However, with most of the population being German, the mandate was unpopular. A plebiscite was held in the territory on 13 January 1935.

With Adolf Hitler anxious for the propaganda advantages of the return of the Saar to Germany, Joseph Goebbels designed a concerted campaign to sway voters. The support of the local Catholic authorities for a return also helped, as did concerns about Bolshevism, against which Hitler was seen as a bulwark.[5] With a voter participation of 98%, the result of the plebiscite was that the overwhelming majority, 90.73%, voted to re-join the German Reich, with only 8.86% wanting to retain the status quo. A third option of joining France received 0.41% of the vote.

Following the vote, Hitler announced that Germany "had no further territorial demands to make of France."[5]

National Socialist rule

On 17 January 1935, the territory's re-union with Germany was approved by the League Council. On March 1, Germany re-integrated the region into the German Reich, appointing Josef Bürckel as Reichskommissar für die Rückgliederung des Saarlandes, "Imperial Commissioner for the re-union of Saarland".

Many opponents of National Socialism who had taken refuge in the territory and former politicians and office holders of the Saar who had collaborated with the occupation were imprisoned.

When re-incorporation was considered complete, the governor's title was changed again to Reichskommissar für das Saarland, "Imperial Commissioner of Saarland" on 17 June 1936. As the new Gau was extended to the Rhine, including the historic Palatinate, the region's name was changed again on 8 April 1940 to Saarpfalz, "Saar-Palatinate".

After the Battle of France, the re-annexed French département of Moselle was incorporated in the Reichsgau. The region's name was finalized on 11 March 1941 as Westmark, meaning "Western March" or "Western Boundary", with its governor styled as Reichsstatthalter in der Westmark, "Imperial Lieutenant of Western March". On 28 September 1944 Josef Bürckel committed suicide, and he was succeeded by Willi Stöhr until 21 March 1945, when the region was again occupied by France.

French Protectorate

After the Second World War a French protectorate was established within similar (but not identical) borders, under strong French economic influence. A referendum was held on 23 October 1955 which ended (direct or indirect) French rule and shortly thereafter the Saarland once again re-joined Germany.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Article 45-50 with Annex, Treaty of Versailles
  2. ^ Archontology.org: Saarland: Heads of Administration: 1920-1935
  3. ^ The extent of the territory is specified in Article 48, Treaty of Versailles
  4. ^ Paragraph 16-17, Chapter II, Annex to Article 45-50, Treaty of Versailles
  5. ^ a b Kershaw, Ian, Hitler: 1889-1936: Hubris (1998) pp.546-547

External links