Saar (League of Nations)

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The Saar, corresponding to the current German state of the Saarland, was from governed by the League of Nations under the Treaty of Versailles from 1920 until a plebicite in 1935, when it was returned to Germany.

Commission of Government

According to Treaty of Versailles the industrially important Saarland was to be governed by the League of Nations for a period of 15 years, and its coalfields administered by France. 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 its own postage stamps during this period.

Chairmen of the Commission

The area was put under the control of the League of Nations represented by the following Chairmen of the Commission of Government:

• Victor Rault, France (February 26, 1920 - March 18, 1926)
• George Washington Stephens, Canada (March 18, 1926 - June 8, 1927)
• Sir Ernest Colville Collins Wilton, United Kingdom (June 8, 1927 - April 1, 1932)
• Sir Geoffrey George Knox, United Kingdom (April 1, 1932 - March 1, 1935)

Plebiscite

In 1933, a considerable number of anti-Nazi Germans fled to the Saar, as it was the only part of Germany left outside the Third Reich's control. As a result, anti-Nazi groups campaigned heavily for the Saarland to remain under French control as long as Adolf Hitler ruled Germany. However, long-held sentiments against France remained entrenched with only a small number sympathizing openly with France. When the original 15-year-term was over, a plebiscite was held in the territory on January 13, 1935: 90.3% of those voting wished to join Germany rather than follow Alsace and join France.

Time table

• January 13 - Plebiscite held in the Saar Territory.
• January 17 - The Council decides that the Saar Territory should be united with Germany (rather than with France).
• March 1 - Germany takes over the Government of the Saar Territory.

The Nazi government appointed Josef Bürckel (b. 1895 - d. 1944) on 1 March 1935 as Reichskommissar für die Rückgliederung des Saarlandes, then changed his style from 17 June 1936 to Reichskommissar für das Saarland, and from 8 April 1940 to Reichskommissar für die Saarpfalz; finally from 11 March 1941, he was made Reichsstatthalter in der "Westmark" (the region's new name, meaning "Western March or Border"), till 28 September 1944 when he was succeeded by Willi Stöhr (b. 1903, also NSDAP), until 21 March 1945.

See also

• Saar, a protectorate under French control (1947-1956)
• Sarre, a département of France (1798-1814)
• Saar River
• Free City of Danzig

 

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