ROYAL AND BONAPARTIST PRETENDERS
ROYAL PRETENDERS
Bourbon The House of Bourbon ruled France 1589 - 1792, 1814 - 1815 and 1815 - 1830. When the direct French line finished in 1883, the claim passed to the Spanish line. Bourbon-France 1844 - 1883 (Henri V) Henri Charles Ferdinand Marie Dieudonné, Comte de Chambord, grandson of Charles X (1757 - 1836) last Bourbon King of France 1824 - 1830 1820 - 1883 Bourbon-Spain Bourbon-Anjou - Branch of Carlos 1883 - 1887 (Jean III) Jean Charles Marie Isidore, Comte de Montizon (also Carlist King Juan III of Spain 1861 - 1868), descendant of King Carlos IV of Spain (1748 - 1819, r. 1788 - 1808) 1822 - 1887 1887 - 1909 (Charles XI), Charles Marie de los Dolores Jean Isidore Joseph, etc., Duc de Madrid, son (also Carlist King Carlos VII of Spain 1868 - 1909) 1848 - 1909 1909 - 1931 (Jacques I), Jaime Jean Charles Alphonse Philippe, Duc de Madrid, son (also Carlist King Jaime III of Spain 1909 -1931) 1870 - 1931 1931 - 1936 (Charles XII Alphonse), Alphonse Charles Ferdinand Marie Jacques etc., Duc de San Jaime, brother of Charles XI (s.a.) (also Carlist King Alfonso Carlos I of Spain 1931 - 1936) 1849 - 1936 Bourbon-Anjou - Branch of Isabella 1936 - 1941 (Alphonse I), Alphonse Léon Ferdinand Marie etc. (also King Alfonso XIII of Spain 1886 - 1931/41) 1886 - 1941 1941 - 1975 (Henri VI), Jaime Luitpold Isabeline Henri etc., Duc de Ségovie, son 1908 - 1975 Bourbon - Orléans The House of Bourbon-Orléans ruled France 1830 - 1848 1850 - 1894 (Louis Philippe II, Philippe VII) Louis Philippe Albert, Comte de Paris grandson of Louis Philippe I, King of the French (1773 - 1850, r.1830 - 1848) 1838 - 1894 1894 - 1926 (Philippe VIII) Louis Philippe Robert, Duc d'Orléans et Comte de Paris, son 1869 - 1926 1926 - 1940 (Jean III) Jean Pierre Clément Marie, Duc de Guise, nephew 1874 - 1940 1940 - 1999 (Henri VI) Henri Robert Ferdinand Marie Louis Philippe, Comte de Paris, son 1908 - 1999 __________________________________________________________________________________BONAPARTIST PRETENDERS
The House of Bonaparte ruled France 1804 - 1814, 1815 and 1852 - 1870. 1873 - 1879 Prince Napoléon Eugène Louis, son of Emperor Napoléon III (1808 - 1873, r. 1852 - 1870, Head of the House Bonaparte 1870 - 1873), died in the Zulu War 1836 - 1879 1879 - 1891 Prince Napoléon Joseph Charles Paul "Jérôme", descendant of Jérôme Bonaparte (1784 - 1860), king of Westphalia 1807 - 1813 1822 - 1891 1891 - 1926 Prince Napoléon Victor Jérôme Frédéric, son 1862 - 1926 1926 - 1997 Prince Napoléon Louis Jérôme Victor Emmanuel Paul, son 1914 - 1997SOUTHERN FRANCE 1870
At the proclamation of the French republic in 1870, radical republican committees or commissions toke power in several southern cities like Lyon and Marseille. They later united into the federative Ligue du Midi pour la Défense nationale de la République (Southern League for the National Defence of the Republic), whose aims were not only the defence of the region - the 15 southern and Algerian departments - against a possible further German advance, but also the protection of their local liberties. The movement gradually lost in importance and by the end of the year the central government had restored its authority. President of the Southern Federative Organization 1870 Alphonse François Henry Esquiros, Prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône department 1812 - 1876 In the same period Lyon and Marseille were also the seat of two anarchist attempts to seize power : - on sep 28 Mikhail Aleksandrovich Bakunin (1814 - 1876) seized power in Lyon and established a Comité de Salut de la France that proclaimed the French state abolished. He was expelled the next day. - on nov 01 a Revolutionary Commune was proclaimed in Marseille. It was headed by Adolphe Carcassonne and lasted until nov 07.
THE COMMUNE
In 1871 social and political unrest in Paris led to a revolt of leftist groups and the proclamation of a revolutionary government styled Commune de Paris (so named in remembrance of the earlier Commune of 1792). Although there were some attempts to establish similar governments in other places, the Commune actually remained isolated and was terminated by the French government after an existence of two months (mar - may 1871). __________________________________________________________________________________LEADERS OF THE COMMUNE
Central Committee of the Republican Federation of the National Guard Comité central de la Fédération républicaine de la Garde nationale The Paris Garde nationale - the city militia first founded in 1789 and abolished in 1851 - was revived in 1870 to defend the town against a possible German attack. It was divided into 20 battalions - each for one of the arrondissements - and was the leading force of the revolt. Its Central Committee (Comité central) was the highest revolutionary authority of the revolt from mar 19 to mar 28, when it formally transferred all its powers to the newly elected Assembly, styled Commune. But even after this the Central Committee kept a leading position, especially in military affairs. Final composition before the transfer of power, changes occuring thereafter being not listed (III) = indicates the arrondissement. 1871 -... Andignoux (XV) -Antoine Arnaud de l'Ariège (III) 1831 - 1885 -Georges Léon Arnold (X) 1833 - 1895 -Adolphe Alphonse Assi (XI) 1841 - 1888 -... Avoine (XIV) -Jules Nicolas Babick (X) 1820 - 1902 -... Barroud (XII) -Jules Henri Martin Bergeret (XX) 1830 - 1905 -Alfred Édouard Billioray (XIV) 1841 - 1876 -Stanislas Xavier Pourille "Blanchet" (V) 1833 - -... Bouit (XX) -... Castioni (XV) -Henri Chouteau (VI) 1834 - 1896 -Adolphe Hippolyte Clémence (IV) 1838 - 1889 -... Demeulle (IV) -Clovis Joseph Dupont (III) 1830 - 1902 -... Fabre (XIII) -... Ferrat (VI) -François A. Fougeret (XII) -... Gaudier (XV) -Hubert Jean-Baptiste Geresme (XII) 1826 - 1890 -... Gouhier (III) -J. Grollard (XVIII) -... Guiral (XVIII) -... Josselin (XVIII) -F. Henry (XIX) -François "Francis" Jourde (V) 1843 - 1893 -... Lavalette (XIX) -Maxime Lisbonne (X) 1839 - 1905 -Charles Maljournal (XX) 1841 - 1894 -Édouard Auguste Moreau (IV) 1836 - 1871 -Henri Joseph Mortier (XI) 1843 - 1894 -... Paty (XIII) -... Pouillet (XIII) -... Prudhomme (XI) -Gabriel Ranvier (XX) 1828 - 1879 -Nicolas Constant Rousseau (V) -Louis Eugène Varlin (XVII) 1838 - 1871 Presidents of the Commune Présidents de la Commune 1871 Charles Beslay* (opening session of mar 28) 1795 - 1878 Gustave Adolphe Lefrançais (from mar 29 to apr 05) 1826 - 1901 From now a new president was elected for each session. (it's possible that not all sessions could be retraced) 1871 Francois Louis Parisel (session of apr 05) 1841 - 1878 Edmond Alfred Goupil (session of apr 06) 1838 - Arthur Arnould (session of apr 07) 1833 - 1895 Henri Sixte-Casse "Fortuné" (session of apr 08) 1822 - 1882 Charles Beslay (session of apr 09) (2x) Arthur Arnould (session of apr 10 and sessions of apr 11) (2x) Auguste Jean Marie Vermorel (sessions of apr 12) 1841 - 1871 Arthur Arnould (session of apr 13) (3x) Alfred Édouard Billioray (session of apr 14 and first session of apr 15) s.a. Jean François Pascal Grousset (second session of apr 15) 1844 - 1909 Arthur Arnould (session of apr 16) (4x) Charles Ostyn (session of apr 17) 1823 - 1912 apr 18 : ... Gustave Adolphe Lefrançais (session of apr 19) (2x) Auguste Vincent Viard (sessions of apr 20) 1836 - 1892 Louis Eugène Varlin (sessions of apr 21 and of apr 22) s.a. Eugène Protot (session of apr 23) 1839 - 1921 Jules Henri Martin Bergeret (session of apr 24) s.a. Gabriel Ranvier (session of apr 25) s.a. apr 26 : ... Jules Allix (session of apr 27) 1818 - 1897 Jules Vallès (session of apr 28) 1832 - 1885 apr 29 : ... Stanislas Xavier Pourille "Blanchet" (first session of apr 30) s.a. Léon "Léo" Meillet (second session of apr 30 and session of may 01) 1843 - 1909 Jean François Pascal Grousset (session of may 02) (2x) Philémon Rastoul (session of may 03) 1835 - 1875 may 04 : ... Jules Johannard (session of may 05) 1843 - 1892 Charles Ostyn (session of may 06) (2x) may 07 : ... Gen. Émile Désiré François Eudes (session of may 08) 1843 - 1888 Alfred Édouard Billioray (first session of may 09) (2x) Félix Aimé Pyat (second session of may 09) 1810 - 1899 may 10 - may 11 : ... Félix Aimé Pyat (session of may 12) (2x) may 13 - may 16 : possibly no sessions Léon "Léo" Meillet (session of may 17) (2x) 09 may 18 : ... Dominique Théophile Régère (session of may 19) 1816 - 1893 may 20 : ... Jules Vallès (last formal session of may 21) (2x) Committee of Public Welfare Comité de Salut public As the military situation degraded the Commune transferred most of its powers to a Committee of Public Welfare In office may 01 - may 25 1871 -Gabriel Ranvier s.a. -Antoine Arnaud de l'Ariège s.a. -Charles Gérardin (until may 09) 1843 - 1921 -Léon "Léo" Meillet (until may 09 and again from may 17) s.a. -Félix Aimé Pyat (until may 09) s.a. -Charles Ferdinand Gambon (since may 09) 1820 - 1887 -Gen. Émile Désiré François Eudes (from may 09) s.a. -Louis Charles Delescluze (may 09 - may 12) s.a. -Alfred Édouard Billioray (since may 12) s.a. -Simon Dereure (from may 17) 1838 - 1900 -Jules Johannard (from may 17) s.a. __________________________________________________________________________________EXECUTIVE COMMISSIONS AND DELEGATES
Executive Commission (I) Commission exécutive The Commune established several commissions (finances, foreign affairs, war, justice etc.). One of them was in charge of executive affairs, its members holding however no separate portfolios. In office mar 29 - apr 20 1871 -Gen. Émile Désiré François Eudes (until apr 03) s.a. -Gen. Jules Henri Martin Bergeret (until apr 03) s.a. -Émile Victor "Victoire" Duval (until apr 04) 1840 - 1871 -Edmé Marie Gustave Tridon 1841 - 1872 -Édouard Vaillant 1840 - 1915 -Gustave Adolphe Lefrançais (until ...) s.a. -Félix Aimé Pyat s.a. -Frédéric Étienne Cournet (since apr 03) 1839 - 1885 -Louis Charles Delescluze (since apr 04) 1809 - 1871 -Augustin Germain Avrial (since apr 10) 1840 - 1904 -Auguste Jean Marie Vermorel (since ...) s.a. On apr 20 a new Executive Commission was formed. This time it comprized one delegate of each of the other commissions acting as a kind of minister. This second Executive Commission was abollshed when the Committee of Public Welfare (s.a.) was created, but the delegates continued in office. Delegate of Foreign Affairs Délégué aux Affaires étrangères 1871 Jean François Pascal Grousset (1) s.a. (1) His main - if not only - activities included the attempts to coordinate the revolutionary activities outside Paris (s.b.) and failed negociations with the German Commander before Paris to obtain arms. Delegates of War (2) Délégués à la Guerre 1871 Gustave Paul Cluseret 1823 - 1900 1871 Louis Rossel 1844 - 1871 1871 Louis Charles Delescluze s.a. 1871 Louis Eugène Varlin* s.a. (2) Military affairs were a real mess for most of the time : - Responsability for military affairs was at first divided between the Military Commission, the Delegate of War and the Central Committee, each claiming to be the highest military authority. As defeat approached they finally reached an agreement whereby the Delegate was given responsability over the military operations and the Central Committee only retaining administrative functions. Soon afterwards the Central Committee however toke full control and appointed Édouard Moureau (s.a.) as Civil Commssioner to supervise Delegate Delescluze. Military Commission In office mar 29 - may .. 1871 -Jean Louis Pindy (until apr 20) 1840 - 1917 -Gen. Émile Désiré François Eudes (until apr 20) s.a. -Émile Victor "Victoire" Duval (until apr 20) s.a. -Jules Henri Martin Bergeret (until apr 20 and again from may 15) s.a. -Jean-Baptiste Chardon (until apr 20) 1839 - 1900 -Gustave Flourens (until apr 20) 1838 - 1871 -Gabriel Ranvier (until may 15) s.a. -Louis Charles Delescluze (from apr 21 to may 15) s.a. -Edmé Marie Gustave Tridon (from apr 21) s.a. -Augustin Germain Avrial (from apr 21) s.a. -Arthur Arnould (from apr 21 to may 15) s.a. -Frédéric Étienne Cournet (from may 15) s.a. -Hubert Jean-Baptiste Géresme (from may 15) 1826 - 1890 -Charles François Ledroit (from may 15) 1818 - -Alphonse Nicolas Sébastien Joseph Lonclans (from may 15) -Auguste Alexandre Sicard (from may 15 to may 17) 1839 - -Raoul Urbain (from may 15) 1837 - 1902 -Jules Johannard (from may 15) s.a. -Louis Eugène Varlin (from may 15) s.a. - At the outbreak of the revolt Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807 -1882) had been appointed Commander of the National Guard. As he had however already left the country, there actually was no military command for some time, each unit, even each man now acting as it/he liked. It was only under Delegate Rossel that a semblance of command was restored and that three "regional" commanders were appointed. But like the delegate himself they soon also lost all authority to Civil Commissioners, appointed to each of the commands. Commanders and Civil Commissioners - Gen. Jaroslaw Dombrowski 1836 - 1871 + Simon Dereure, Civil Commissioner s.a. - Gen. Napoléon François Paul Thomas La Cecilia 1835 - 1878 + Jules Johannard, Civil Commissioner s.a. - Gen. Walery Wroblewski 1836 - 1908 + Léon "Léo" Meillet, Civil Commissioner s.a. Delegates of General Security Délégués à la Sécurite générale (also toke over the duties of the Police Prefect) 1871 Raoul Rigault 1846 - 1871 1871 Frédéric Étienne Cournet s.a. 1871 Théophile Charles Gilles Ferré 1846 - 1871 Delegate of Justice Délégué à la Justice 1871 Eugène Protot s.a. Delegate of Finances Délégué aux Finances 1871 François "Francis" Jourde s.a. Delegate of Subsistence Délégué aux Subsistances 1871 Auguste Vincent Viard s.a. Delegate of the Public Services Délégué aux Services publics 1871 Jules Andrieu 1837 - 1884 Delegates for Labour and Exchange Délégués au Travail et à l'Échange 1871 Gustave Adolphe Lefrançais s.a. 1871 Léo Frankel 1844 - 1896 Delegate of Instruction Délégué à l'Enseignement 1871 Édouard Vaillant s.a. __________________________________________________________________________________LEADERS OF OTHER COMMUNES
As the news of the revolt in Paris spred, revolutionary agitation also started in several other places : Bordeaux, Le Creusot, Limoges, Mâcon, Narbonne, etc. Most agitation was however immediately suppressed and only a handful of shortliving Communes were actually established. LE CREUSOT On mar 26 the town of Le Creusot proclaimed itself an Independent Commune. Mayor Maire 1871 Jean-Baptiste Dumay 1841 - 1926 The following day regular troops entered the city and restored the authority of the French government. LYON On mar 23 the National Guard seized power and proclaimed a Provisional Commune. Communal Commission Commission communale 1871 -... Bouvatier -... Crestin -... Durand -... Perret -... Velay As they had little support the members of the Commission left during the nignt and by the morning of mar 24 the Commune had ceased to exist. Unrest continued however in some districts and on apr 30 a second attempt was made to establish a Commune. Revolutionary Commission Commission révolutionnaire 1871 ... The movement was suppressed on may 01. MARSEILLE On mar 23 the National Guard seized power and proclaimed the Revolutionary Commune of Marseille. President of the Departmental Commission Président de la Commission départementale 1871 Gaston Crémieux 1836 - 1871 On apr 03 French governmental forces entered the city and on apr 04 the revoltees surrendered. NARBONNE The Commune of Narbonne was proclaimed on mar 24. Leader of Commune 1871 Émile-Stanislas Digeon 1822 - 1894 The Commune was disbanded on mar 31 when regular forces entered the city. SAINT-ÉTIENNE The Commune of St Étienne was proclaimed by the National Guard on mar 24. Executive Commission Commission exécutive 1871 ... It ended on mar 28. TOULOUSE The Commune of Toulouse was proclaimed by the National Guard on 24 mar. Executive Commission Commission exécutive 1871 ... It surrendered to the regular forces on mar 28.ADMINISTRATORS OF GERMAN OCCUPIED FRANCE 1870 - 1873 AND 1914 - 1918
See here for the occupation 1940 - 1944
ADMINISTRATORS 1870 - 1873
In 1870 German forces - actually the armies of Baden, Bavaria, the Confederation of Northern Germany and of Württemberg - occupied large parts of France north of the Loire (1) (1) The occupied zone covered some 30 departments running from Calvados in the North-West to the Jura in the South-East. French enclaves until the end of the war were the fortress of Belfort [Commander : Col. Pierre Marie Philippe Aristide Denfert-Rochereau (1823 - 1878)], the departments of the Nord and of the Pas-de-Calais [Commander of the Armée du Nord : Gen. Louis Léon César Faidherbe (1818 - 1889)] and the towns of Le Havre [Commander : Adm. Amédée Ernest Barthélemy Mouchez (1821 - 1892)] and of Paris, seat of the French government. Suprme Commander (in name) Oberkommandierender 1870 - 1871 Wilhelm I (Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig), König von Preussen and since jan 1871 Kaiser des Deutschen Reiches 1797 - 1888 Commander in Chief Oberbefehlshaber 1870 - 1871 GenFieldMarsh. Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Molkte "der Ältere", Chief of the Prussian General staff 1800 - 1891 REGIONAL COMMANDERS AND ADMINISTRATORS 1870 - 1871 Commanders of the German Armies operating in France In the war zones the occupied territories were under the administration of the "Etappenverwaltungen" attached to each of the armies operating in the area. Commanders of the First Army Befehlshaber der I Armee 1870 InfGen. Karl Friedrich von Steinmetz 1796 - 1877 1870 - 1871 Majgen. Karl Rochus Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel 1809 - 1885 1871 InfGen. August Karl Friedrich Christian von Göben 1816 - 1880 Commander of the Second Army Befehlshaber der II Armee 1870 - 1871 GenFieldMarsh. Friedrich Karl Nikolaus Prinz von Preussen "der Rote Prinz" 1828 - 1885 Commander of the Third Army Befehlshaber der III Armee 1870 - 1871 GenFieldMarsh. Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl Kronprinz von Preussen 1831 - 1888 Commander of the Fourth Army/Meuse Army Befehlshaber der IV Armee/Maas-Armee 1870 - 1871 InfGen. Friedrich August Albert Anton Ferdinand etc. Kronprinz von Sachsen 1828 - 1902 Commander of the Southern Army Befehlshaber der Süd-Armee 1871 MajGen. Karl Rochus Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel s.a. Governors General Generalgouverneure As advance progressed four Governments General were established in the "pacified" territories : - Nancy in 1870 - Reims in 1870 - Strasbourg in 1870 - Versailles in 1871 Governor General of Reims (This Government general covered the Departments of the Aisne, the Ardennes and the Marne) 1870 - 1871 ... Governor General of Versailles (Territory covered by this Government General not known) 1871 Gen. Georg Friedrich Alfred Graf von Fabrice 1818 - 1891 COMMANDERS OF THE GERMAN OCCUPATION FORCES After the signing of the Peace Treaty of Frankfurt - by which parts of the eastern departments were ceded to Germany (see Alsace - Lorraine) - most of Northern France remained under German occupation until the payment of the war indemnity forseen in the treaty. By early 1872 only six departments (Ardennes, Haute-Marne, Marne, Meuse, Meurthe- et-Moselle and Vosges) and the territory of Belfort were still occupied. Haute-Marne and Marne were evacuated the same year, the other territories in 1873. Commanders of the Occupation Army in France Oberbefehlshaber der Okkupationsarmee in Frankreich 1871 Gen. Georg Friedrich Alfred von Fabrice s.a. 1871 - 1873 Majgen. Karl Rochus Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel s.a. __________________________________________________________________________________ADMINISTRATORS 1914 - 1918
In 1914 German troops invaded France and for the next 4 years were in occupation of parts or all of its eastern and northeastern frontier departments : - Aisne - Meuse - Ardennes - Nord - Marne - Oise - Meurthe - Pas-de-Calais - Meurthe-et-Moselle - Somme Except for some minor territories (2) these occupied areas were under the authority of the Etappenverwaltugen attached to the armies operating in the area. (2) Parts of the department of the Ardennes (the cantons of Fumay and Givet in the arrondissement of Rocroi and the canton of Monthermé in the Mézières arrondissement) and of the Nord were temporarily attached to the Government General of Belgium. Parts of French Lorraine were given a separate administration. In 1916 some of the Etappenverwaltungen in France also toke charge of minor Belgian territories GERMAN COMMANDERS There never was one unified command for the forces operating in France, each Army or Army Group operating under the direct authority of the German High Command. The structure of the German Armies operating in France Initially, in Aug - early Sep 1914, the following Armies were present : (from North to South, also in Belgium) - 1st Army - 2nd Army - 3rd Army - 4th Army - 5th Army In Sep 1914 two new armies were transferred to the Western Front and by early 1915 the following Armies were present : - 6th Army - 1st Army, later disbanded - 2nd Army - 7th Army - 3rd Army - 5th Army In jul 1916 a reconstructed 1st Army returned to the front, later joined by the new 17th, 18th and 19th Armies (dec 1917 - feb 1918). In the meanwhile the armies had been regrouped into Army Groups and by the end of the War, in nov 1918, the German forces in France were divided as follows (still from North to South) Army Group Kronprinz Rupprecht 4th Army (in Belgian Flanders) 6th Army Army Group Böhn Formed in aug 1918 from two armies before part of Group Kronprinz Rupprecht 17th Army 2nd Army Army Group Deutscher Kronprinz 18th Army 7th Army 1st Army 3rd Army Army Group Gallwitz 5th Army + Army Command C (in Germany) Army Group Albrecht von Württemberg 19th Army + Army Commands A and B (in Germany) (The commanders are given until the end of the War) Commander of the Army Group Kronprinz Rupprecht Befehlshaber Heeresgruppe Kronprinz Rupprecht 1916 - 1918 GenFieldMarsh. Kronprinz Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand von Bayern 1869 - 1955 Commanders of the 4th Army Befehlshaber der IV Armee 1914 - 1918 see here Commanders of the 6th Army Befehlshaber der VI Armee (also in part of the Belgian province of Hainaut since 1916) 1914 - 1916 GenFieldMarsh. Kronprinz Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand von Bayern s.a. 1916 - 1917 ColGen. Ludwig Alexander Friedrich August Philipp Freiherr von Falkenhausen (later Governor General of Belgium) 1840 - 1936 1917 InfGen. Otto von Below 1853 - 1918 1917 - 1919 InfGen. Ferdinand von Quast 1850 - 1939 Commander of the Army Group Böhn Befehlshaber Heeresgruppe Böhn 1918 ColGen. Maximilian "Max" von Böhn 1850 - 1921 Commanders of the 17th Army Befehlshaber der XVII Armee 1918 InfGen. Otto von Below s.a. 1918 InfGen. Karl Bruno Julius von Mudra 1851 - 1931 Commanders of the 2nd Army Befehlshaber der II Armee 1914 - 1915 GenFieldMarsh. Karl Wilhelm Paul von Bülow 1846 - 1921 1915 - 1916 InfGen. Friedrich "Fritz" von Below 1853 - 1918 1916 ArtGen. Maximilian "Max" von Gallwitz zu Dreyling 1852 - 1937 1916 - 1918 ColGen. Georg Kornelius Adalbert von der Marwitz 1856 - 1929 1918 InfGen. Adolph Hans Karl von Carlowitz 1859 - 1922 Commander of the Army Group Deutscher Kronprinz Befehlshaber Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz 1916 - 1918 InfGen. Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Otto Ernst von Hohenzollern Kronprinz von Preussen "Deutscher Kronprinz" 1882 - 1951 Commander of the 18th Army Befehlshaber der XVIII Armee 1917 - 1919 InfGen. Oskar Emil von Hutier 1857 - 1934 Commanders of the 7th Army Befehlshaber der VII Armee 1914 - 1916 ColGen. Josias Oskar von Heeringen 1850 - 1926 1916 - 1917 ColGen. Louis Theodor Richard von Schubert 1850 - 1933 1917 - 1918 InfGen. Maximilian "Max" von Böhn s.a. 1918 InfGen. Magnus von Eberhardt 1855 - 1939 1918 InfGen. Maximilian "Max" von Böhn (2x) Commanders of the 1st Army Befehlshaber der I Armee (also in part of the Belgian province of Hainaut since 1917) 1914 - 1915 ColGen. Alexander Heinrich Rudolf von Kluck 1846 - 1934 1915 InfGen. Maximilian "Max" von Fabeck 1854 - 1916 1915 - 1916 no 1st Army 1916 - 1918 InfGen. Friedrich "Fritz" von Below s.a. 1918 InfGen. Karl Bruno Julius von Mudra s.a. 1918 InfGen. Otto von Below 1857 - 1944 1918 InfGen. Magnus von Eberhardt s.a. Commanders of the 3rd Army Befehlshaber der III Armee 1914 ColGen. Max Clemens Lothar Freiherr von Hausen 1846 - 1933 1914 - 1919 ColGen. Karl Wilhelm Georg August Gottfried von Einem "von Rothmaler" 1853 - 1934 Commander of the Army Group Gallwitz Befehlshaber Heeresgruppe Gallwitz 1918 ArtGen. Maximilian "Max" von Gallwitz zu Dreyling s.a. Commanders of the 5th Army Befehlshaber der V Armee (also in part of the Belgian province of Luxembourg since 1917) 1914 - 1916 LtGen. Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Otto Ernst von Hohenzollern Kronprinz von Preussen "Deutscher Kronprinz" s.a. 1916 InfGen. Ewald Konstantin Ferdinand Friedrich von Lochow 1855 - 1942 1916 - 1918 ArtGen. Maximilian "Max" von Gallwitz zu Dreyling s.a. 1918 CavGen. Georg Kornelius Adalbert von der Marwitz s.a. Commander of the Army Group Duke Albrecht von Württemberg Befehlshaber Heeresgruppe Herzog Albrecht von Württemberg 1917 - 1918 GenFieldMarsh. Albrecht Maria Alexander Philipp Joseph Herzog von Württemberg 1865 - 1939 Commanders of the 19th Army Befehlshaber der XIX Armee 1918 ColGen. Felix Graf von Bothmer 1852 - 1937 1918 InfGen. Karl Ritter von Fasbender 1852 - 1933 FRENCH ADMINISTRATORS After the German occupation the only French Prefect remaining in office was Jean- Baptiste Félix Trepont (1862 - 1949) of the Département du Nord. He had however very little power and was eventually taken as a hostage and expelled. After this the major French officials dealing with the German authorities were the Mayors (Maires) of the occupied towns and villages, like Charles Émile Marie Joseph Delesalle (1850 - 1923) the mayor of Lille. ADMINISTRATORS OF THE CRB, THE CF AND THE CL (For more information on this subject see here) The Commission for Relief in Belgium (CRB) informally extended its activities to the occupied parts of France in the winter of 1914/1915. After agreements had been reached with the Allies and the Germans this presence was formalized and a Comité d'Alimentation du Nord de la France (Comité Français - CF /Food Committee of Northern France) was established in Brussels to distribute the relief goods in the region. At the end of the war in 1918 the CF was replaced by a French Comité Général de Ravitaillement des Régions Libérées (Comité Libérées - CL/General Committee of Supply of the Liberated Regions) part of the Ministry of the Liberated Regions. Chief Representatives and Directors of the of the CRB in France Director in Paris (Liaison officer between the CRB and the French authorities) 1915 - 1919 Louis Chevrillon Chief Representatives of the CRB to the German Armies in Northern France at Charleville (2) 1915 Vernon Lyman Kellogg (US) 1867 - 1937 1915 - 1916 Caspar Whitney (US) 1916 - 1917 Vernon Lyman Kellogg (2x) 1917 Tracy Barrett Kittredge (US) 1891 - 1917 - 1918 none (2) German liason officer 1915 - 191. Maj. Friedrich von Kessler Directors of the CRB for Northern France at Lille (after the armistice) 1918 Tracy Barrett Kittredge s.a. 1919 William Hallam Tuck (US) 1919 Perrin C. Galpin (US) 1889 - 1974 Presidents and Administrator of the CF and the CL Presidents 1915 - 1918 Louis Guérin 1918 - 1919 Maurice Le Blan Administrator 1915 - 191. Edmond Labbé 1868 - 1944FRENCH REGIONS 1941 - 1946
Until the Revolution of 1789, France was a collection of feudal lands, united under one rule by the Kings of France in the course of the previous centuries. Although they were regrouped into royal governments and intendencies they kept some of their particularisms and in some cases even some kind of limited selfgovernment. This situation changed in 1790 when the country was divided into departments that were under the direct and absolute control of the central government. In the course of the 19th century the idea of recreating regional entities - which would take account of the regional cultural and economical particularisms and which would more or less be based on the ancien lands - however gradually emerged. At first the idea was only supported by some intellectuals, but in the early 20th century - especially after the founding in 1900 of a Fédération régionale française (French Regional Association) by Charles Brun (1870-1946) - it gained some popular and political support and as a result France was divided in 1922 into 19 eceonmic zones, coordinating the commercial and industrial activities of the departmental chambers of commerce of the zone. But the real change occured in 1941 when - following the complete reprganization of the French governmental structures by the Vichy government - France (the occupied as well as the non-occupied zone) was divided into 17 regions : - 11 in the occupied zone and Northern France - Angers - Nancy - Bordeaux - Orléans - Châlons-sur-Marne - Poitiers - Dijon - Rennes - Laon - Rouen - Lille (in Northern Franc) [not touched by the reorganization were the departments forming so-called Great- Paris (Gross Paris) : Seine, Seine-et-Oise and Seine-et-Marne] - 6 in the non occupied zone - Clermont-Ferrand - Marseille - Limoges - Montpellier - Lyon - Toulouse Each region was headed by a regional prefect (préfet régional) having : - very extended economical and financial powers in all regions - very extended police powers in the non-occupied regions. (See also here for the German commands encompassing the regions of occupied France, here for the German commands encompassing the southern regions 1942 - 1944 and here for the Italian zone) After the Liberation of 1944 the Provisional Government temporarily maintained the division into regions, slightly modifying their frontiers. They were now headed by Regional Commissioners of the Republic (Commissaires régionaux de la République) with the same extended powers. In 1946 the situation of before 1941 was restored. __________________________________________________________________________________ANGERS
The Region of Angers was in the occupied zone and covered : - the departments of the Loire-Inférieure (= Loire-Atlantique), the Maine-et-Loire, the Mayence and the Sarthe - the occupied part of the department of the Indre-et-Loire. The region was under the Militärverwaltungs-Bezirk B The Commissariat of the Republic covered the same area and the former non-occupied part of the Indre-et-Loire. Regional Prefects Préfets régionaux = Prefects of the Maine-et-Loire department. 1941 - 1943 Jean Rousillon 1896 - 1970 1943 - 1944 Charles Guérin Joçseph Louis Donati 1891 - Regional Commissioners of the Republic Commissaires régionaux de la République 1944 - 1945 Michel Debré "Jacquier" 1912 - 1996 1945 - 1946 Alain Savary 1918 - 1988 __________________________________________________________________________________BORDEAUX
The Region of Bordeaux was in the occupied zone and covered the occupied parts of the departments of the Basses-Pyrénées (= Pyrénées-Atlantiques), the Gironde and the Landes. The region was under the Militärverwaltungs-Bezirk Bo(rdeaux) until 1942 and then under the Militärverwaltungs-Bezirk B. The Commissariat of the Republic covered all of the three mentioned departments and the department of the Lot-et-Garonne. Regional Prefects Préfets régionaux = Prefects of the Gironde department. 1941 - 1942 Marie François Jules Pierre "Pierre-Alype" 1886 - 1956 1942 - 1944 Maurice Roch Antoine Sabatier 1897 - 1989 Regional Commissioner of the Republic Commissaire régional de la République 1944 - 1945 Gaston Cusin 1903 - 1993 __________________________________________________________________________________CHÂLONS-SUR-MARNE
The Region of Châlons-sur-Marne was in the occupied zone and covered the departments of the Aube, the Haute-Marne and the Marne. The region was under the Militärverwaltungs-Bezirk C. The Commissariat of the Republic covered the same area. Regional Prefects Préfets régionaux = Prefects of the Marne department. 1941 - 1942 René Bousquet 1909 - 1993 1942 - 1944 Louis Alexandre Valère de Peretti Della Rocca 1885 - Regional Commissioner of the Republic Commissaire régional de la République 1944 - 1946 Marcel Grégoire 1884 - 1969 __________________________________________________________________________________CLERMONT-FERRAND
The Region of Clermont-Ferrand was in the non-occupied zone and covered : - the departments of the Cantal, the Haute-Loire and the Puy-de-Dôme - the non-occupied part of the department of the Allier. Since 1942 the region was under the Hauptverbindungsstab Clermont-Ferrand The Commissariat of the Republic covered the four departments, including the former occupied part of Allier. Regional Prefects Préfets régionaux = Prefects of the Puy-de-Dôme department. 1941 Jacques Charles Adrien Chevreux 1883 - 1951 1941 - 1944 Paul Ferdianad Eugène Brun 1892 - 1965 Regional Commissioner of the Republic Commissaire régional de la République 1944 - 1946 Henri Ingrand 1908 - 2003 __________________________________________________________________________________DIJON
The region of Dijon was in the occupied zone and covered : - the departments of Belfort, the Côte-d'Or, the Doubs, the Haute-Saône, the Nievre and the Yonne, - the occupied parts of the departments of the Ain, the Allier, the Jura, the Saône -et-Loire and of the Haute-Savoie. The region was part of the Militärverwaltungs-Bezirk C. The Commissariat of the Republic covered all of the listed departments except Ain and Allier. Regional Prefects Préfets régionaux = Préfects of the Côte-d'Or department. 1941 Alfred Roger Hontebeyrie 1895 - 1969 1941 - 1943 Charles Guérin Joçseph Louis Donati s.a. 1943 - 1944 Jean François Quenette 1903 - 1944 George Albert Maurice Bernard 1890 - 1953 Regional Commissioners of the Republic Commissaires régionaux de la République 1944 - 1945 Jean Bouhey 1898 - 1963 1945 - 1946 Jean Marie Albert Mairey, acting for wounded Bouhey since 1944 1907 - 1982 __________________________________________________________________________________LAON - SAINT-QUENTIN
The Region of Laon - Saint-Quentin was in the occupied zone and covered the Aisne, Ardennes, Oise and Somme departments. The region was part of the Militärverwaltungs-Bezirk A The Commissariat of the Republic covered the same area. Regional Prefects Préfets régionaux = Prefects of the Aisne department 1941 - 1942 ... 1942 - 1943 Émile Amédee Pelletier 1898 - 1943 - 1944 Gaston Jules Antoine Mumber 1897 - 1970 1944 Roger Marie Calentin Paul Homo 1892 - 1977 Regional Commisioner of the Republique Commissaire régional de la République 1944 - 1946 Pierre Pène 1898 - 1972 __________________________________________________________________________________LILLE
See here __________________________________________________________________________________LIMOGES
The region of Limoges was in the non-occupied zone and covered : - the departments of the Corrèze, the Creuse and the Haute-Vienne - the non-occupied parts of the Charente, the Cher, the Dordogne, the Indre, the Indre-et-Loire and the Vienne. In 1942 - 1943 the region was part of the Hauptverbindungsstab Clermont-Ferrand (the whole area except the Haute-Vienne) and of the Hauptverbindungsstab Limoges (the Haute-Vienne). Thereafter the whole territory was part of the Hauptverbindungsstab Clermont- Ferrand. The Commissariat of the Republic covered the three listed departments and all of the Dordogne and the Indre. Regional Prefects Préfets régionaux = Prefects of the Haute-Vienne department. 1941 - 1942 Pierre Jean Berger 1898 - 1942 - 1943 Antoine Jean Marcel Lemoine 1888 - 1943 René Edouard Rivière 1900 - 1943 - 1944 Marc Paul Freund "Freund-Valade" 1899 - Regional Commissioner of the Republic Commissaire régional de la République 1944 - 1946 Pierre Bousicot 1899 - __________________________________________________________________________________LYON
The region of Lyon was in the non-occupied zone and covered : - the departments of the Ardèche, the Drôme, the non occupied Haute-Savoie, the Isère, the Loire, the Rhône and of Savoie. - the non-occupied parts of the departments of the Ain, the Jura and the Saône-et -Loire. From 1940 to 1942 the area was within the Italian zone of influence. From 1942 to 1943 it was divided between the German Hauptverbindungsstab Lyon and the Italian zone of occupation and since 1943 all of it was under the Hauptverbindungsstab Lyon The Commissariat of the Republic covered roughly the same area, including all of the Ain but without the former occupied zones of the Jura and the Saône-et-Loire. Regional Prefects Prefets régionaux = Prefects of the Rhône Department 1941 - 1944 Alexandre Benoît Joseph Angeli 1893 - 1962 1944 Édouard Louis Joseph Marie Bonnefoy 1899 - 1945 1944 André Albert Jean François Boutenay 1905 - 1959 Regional Commissioner of the Republic Commissaire régional de la République 1944 - 1945 Yves Farge 1899 - 1953 __________________________________________________________________________________MARSEILLE
The Region of Marseille was in the non-occupied zone. It covered the departments of the Alpes-Maritimes, the Basses-Alpes (= Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), the Bouches-du- Rhône, Corse, the Gard, the Hautes-Alpes, the Var and the Vaucluse. From 1940 to 1942 the area (the Gard not included) was within the Italian zone of influence. From 1942 to 1943 it was divided between the German Hauptverbindungsstab Avignon and the Italian zone of occupation (1) and since 1943 all of it was under the Hauptverbindungsstab (later Oberfeldkommandantur) Avignon The Commissariat of the Republic covered the same area, except the Gard. (1) It seems that during the period of effective Italian occupation 1942 - 1943, the (or some of the) departments they occupied were detached from Marseille and placed under the authority of the Prefect des Alpes-Maritmes, who held the powers - but not the style - of a Regional Prefect (information on this subject will be welcomed) Prefects of the Alpes-Maritimes 1942 - 1943 1940 - 1943 Marcel Julien Henri Ribiere 1892 - 1986 1943 - 1944 Marie Joseph Jean Chaigneau 1898 - 1953 Regional Prefects Préfets régionaux = Prefets of the Bouches-du-Rhône department. 1941 - 1942 Max Bonafous 1900 - 1975 1942 - 1943 Adelin Pascal Jean Joseph Rivalland 1893 - 1965 1943 - 1944 Antoine Jean Marcel Lemoine s.a. 1944 Jacques Félix Bussière 1895 - 1945 1944 Émile Gabriel Louis Marie Malican 1894 - Regional Commissioners of the Republic Commissaires régionaux de la République 1944 - 1945 Raymond Aubrac "Samuel" 1914 - 1945 - 1946 Paul Maurice Louis Haag 1891 - 1976 __________________________________________________________________________________MONTPELLIER
The region of Montpellier was in the non-occupied zone. It covered the departments of the Aude, the Aveyron, the Hérault, the Lozère and the Pyrénées-Orientales. From 1942 to 1944 the region was under the Hauptverbindungsstab Montpellier, then under the Oberfeldkommandantur Avignon. The Commissariat of the Republic covered the same area and the Gard. Regional Prefects Préfets régionaux = Prefects of the Hérault department. 1941 - 1942 Pierre Olivier de Sardan 1901 - 1942 - 1944 Alfred Roger Hontebeyrie 1895 - 1969 1944 Marie Jacques Augustin Michel 1882 - Regional Commissioner of the Republic Commissaire régional de la République 1944 - 1946 Jacques Bounin 1908 - __________________________________________________________________________________NANCY
See here __________________________________________________________________________________ORLEANS
The region of Orléans was in the occupied zone. It covered : - the departments of the Eure-et-Loir, of the Loiret and of the Loir-et-Cher. - the occupied parts of the departments of the Cher and of the Indre. The region was part of the Militärverwaltungs-Bezirk A The Commissariat of the Republic also covered the former non-occupied parts of the department of the Cher. Regional Prefects Préfets régionaux = Prefects of the Loiret Department 1941 - 1942 Jacques Alexandre Moranne 1901 - 1982 1942 - 1944 Jacques Félix Bussière s.a. 1944 Ange Marie Pascal Eugène Chiappe 1889 - 1945 Regional Commissioner of the Republic Commissaire régional de la République 1944 - 1946 André Mars 1896 - 1957 __________________________________________________________________________________POITIERS
The region of Poitiers was in the occupied zone and covered : - the departments of the Charente-Maritime (= Charente-Inférieure until 1941), of the Deux-Sèvres and of the Vendée - the occupied parts of the Charente, the Dordogne and the Vienne Until 1942 the region was ivided between the Militärverwaltungs-Bezirk Bo (Charente and Charente-Maritime) and the Militärverwaltungs-Bezirk B (the others). Thereafter all of it became part of the Militärverwaltungs-Bezirk B The Commissariat of the Repiblic also covered the former non-occpied parts of the Charente and of the Vienne, but not the Dordogne. Regional Prefects Préfets régionaux = Prefects of the Vienne Department 1941 - 1944 Mouis Jean Marie Bourgain 1881 - 1970 Regional Commissioner of the Republic Commissaire régional de la République 1944 - 1946 Jean Schuhler 1909 - __________________________________________________________________________________RENNES
The region of Rennes was in the occupied zone and covered the departments of the Côtes-du-Nord, the Finistère, the Ille-et-Vilaine and the Morbihan. The region was part of the Militärverwaltungs-Bezirk B The Commissariat of the Republic covered the same area. Regional Prefects Préfets régionaux = Prefects of the Ille-et-Vilaine 1941 - 1942 François Charles Joseph Ripert 1901 - 1942 - 1943 Jean François Quenette s.a. 1943 - 1944 Philibert Dupard 1890 - 1944 1944 Robert Martin 1895 - 1957 Regional Commissioner of the Republic Commissaire régional de la République 1944 - 1946 Victor Le Gorgeu 1881 - 1963 __________________________________________________________________________________ROUEN
The region of Rouen was in the occupied zone and covered the departments of the Calvados, of the Eure, the Manche, the Orne and of the Seine-Inférieure (= Seine- Maritime). The region was part of the Militärverwaltungs-Bezirk A The Commissariat of the Republic covered the same area. Regional Prefects Préfets régionaux = Prefect of the Seine-Inférieure department (now Seine-Maritime) 1941 - 1942 René Bouffet s.a. 1942 - 1943 André Auguste Parmentier 1896 - 1943 - 1944 ... 1944 Louis Marie Charles Dramand 1898 - Regional Commissioner of the Republic Commissaire régional de la République 1944 - 1946 Henri Bourdeau de Fontenay, enstrusted by Gen. De Gaulle with the administration of liberated Normandy after the landing (thus preventing the installation of an allied military government in France) 1900 - 1969 __________________________________________________________________________________STRASBOURG
In 1940 the departments of the Bas- and the Haut-Rhin were detached from France to form the territory of Elsass under a German civilian administrator. In 1944 the region was returned to France. Regional Commissioner of the Repûblic Commissaire régional de la République 1944 - 1945 Charles Blondel 1895 - __________________________________________________________________________________TOULOUSE
The region of Toulouse was in the non-occupied zone and covered : - the departments of the Ariège, the Gers, the Haute-Garonne, the Hautes-Pyrénées, the Lot, the Lot-et-Garonne, the Tarn and the Tarn-et-Garonne - the non-occupied parts of the departments of the Basses-Pyrénées, the Gironde and the Landes. Since 1942 the region was under the Hauptverbindungsstab Toulouse. The Commissariat of the Republic did not include the former non-occupied parts of the Basses-Pyrénées, the Gironde and the Landes nor the Lot-et-Garoonne. Regional Prefects Préfets régionaux = Prefects of the Haute-Garonne 1941 - 1944 Léopold Marie Frédéric Chéneaux de Leyritz 1896 - 1970 1944 André Paul Sadon 1891 - 1965 Regional Commissioners of the Republique Commissaires régionaux de la République 1944 Jean Cassou 1897 - 1981 1944 - 1946 Pierre Félix Berteaux 1907 - 1986FRENCH OVERSEA DEPENDENCIES 1870 - 1945
In the period 1870 to 1945 French Oversea Possessions included : notes I - (AW) = Territories at some time part of the Theater Atlantic West (C) = Concession in China (EA) = Territories at some time part of the Government General of Equatorial Africa (I) = Territories at some time part of the Federation of Indochina (M) = Mandated Territory (WA) = Territories at some time part of the Government General of West Africa - F. = the year the dependency - freely or forcebly - rallied to one of the French leaders opposed to the Vichy regime (Darlan, De Gaulle or Giraud) - freely rallying to the Free French of Gen. De Gaulle in 1940 were also the French employees of the Suez Canal Company in Egypt, - the Federation of Indochina and the Government General of West Africa acted very indepently for most of the war. Algeria since 1830 F.: 1942 Annam (I) since 1883 Cambodia (I) since 1863 Chad (EA) since 1900 F.: 1940 Cheikh Said from 1868 to 1936 Cilicia from 1919 to 1921 Cochinchina (I) since 1859 Dahomey (WA) since 1851/92 F.: 1942 French Cameroun (M) since 1916 F.: 1940 French Guiana (AW) since 1674 F.: 1943 French Guinea (WA) since 1837 F.: 1942 French Possessions on Saint Helena since 1858 F.: 1940 French Settlements in India since 1674 F.: 1940 French Settlements in Oceania since 1842 F.: 1940 French Somali Coast since 1862 F.: 1942 French Sudan (WA) since 1880 F.: 1942 French Togo (M) since 1914 F.: 1942 Gabon (EA) since 1839 F.: 1940 Guadeloupe and Dependencies (AW) since 1635 F.: 1943 Guangzhou (Canton) (C) from 1861 to 1943 Ivory Coast/Côte d'Ivoire (WA) since 1843 F.: 1940 Kwangchowan (Kouang-Tcheou-Wan)(I) from 1898 to 1943 Laos (I) since 1893 Lebanon (M) since 1918 F.: 1941 Madagascar and Dependencies since 1885 F.: 1942 Martinique (AW) since 1635 F.: 1943 Mauretania (WA) since 1904 F.: 1942 Middle Congo (EA) since 1886 F.: 1940 Morocco since 1912 F.: 1942 New Caledonia and Dependencies since 1853 F.: 1940 New Hebrides since 1887/1906 F.: 1940 Niger (WA) since 1899 F.: 1942 Réunion since 1642 F.: 1942 St Pierre-et-Miquelon (AW) since 1604 F.: 1941 Senegal (WA) since 1626 F.: 1942 Shanghai (C) from 1849 to 1943 Syria (M) since 1920 F.: 1941 Tianjin (Tïen-Tsin)(C) from 1861 to 1943 Tonkin (I) since 1883 Tunesia since 1881 F.: 1943 Oubangui-Chari (EA) since 1894 F.: 1940 Upper Volta since 1895 F.: 1942 Wallis-et-Futuna since 1887 F.: 1942 Wuhan (Han-K'eou) (C) from 1886 to 1943 notes II Annam : In 1888 the town of Danang was detached to form a separate French possession (I) Lebanon : Independence proclaimed 1941, de facto postponed until 1946 Madagascar : - 1885 was the year the Kingdom of Madagascar (or Imerina) formally became a French protectorate. - until 1896 France had three separate possessions on Madagascar : - Diégo-Suarez (since 1885) - Nossi-Bé (since 1840) - Sainte-Marie de Madagascar (since 1750) - major dependencies of Madagascar included the : - Comoros (Dep. since 1912) - French Southern Islands and Territories (Dep. since 1924) New Hebrides : Condominium with the UK Syria : Independence proclaimed 1941, de facto postponed until 1946 Tonkin : In 1888 the towns of Hanoi and Haiphong were detached to form separate French possessions (I) To this list may perhaps be added some territories in Europe that were not exactly French dependencies, but nevertheless had at some time - or still have - a special link with France : - Andorra : not linked to France itself, but to its Head of State who also was/is the Head of State of the Principality. - Faisans Island - The French Railway Station in Basel-Stadt - Monaco : an indpendent state but linked to France by several treaties. - Territories under French military occupation such as : - Luxembourg : 1918 - 1919 - Rhineland : 1918 - 1929 (as part of a general allied occupation) - the Ruhr : 1923 - 1925 (together with Belgium) - Val d'Aosta : 1945 CHEIKH SAID In 1868 the French trading company Bazin & Rabaud bought the territory of Cheikh Saïd from a local Yemenite chief to use it as a trading post and a coal depot for its ships navigating through the newly build Suez Canal. The territory was effectively occupied in 1870, but soon afterwards again abandoned. In the 1880's the company did a new attempt to occupy the territory, this time also asking for governemnt support and a formal annexation. But the French government - who just had established a colony in neighbouring French Somaliland and who didn't want to expand in what was seen as a British zone of influence - never showed any real interest, despite campaigns orchestrated by the Cy., especially during WWI, when the territory was presented as a possible base against the Osmanli. Despite this official attitude, Cheikh Saïd continued to be seen as a real French dependency by many people (1) for quite some time. The situation was only clarified in 1936 when France openly recognized the territory as a part of Yemen. (1) Even the wellknown and prestigious Larousse Encyclopedia listed Cheikh Saïd as a "territoire français non occupé effectivement" in its edition of 1907. FAISANS ISLAND Faisans Island (Basq. : Konpantzia, Cast.: Isla de los Faisanes, French : Île des Faisans) is in the middle of the Bidassoa river forming the boundary between France and Spain. Since the Middle Ages it was used as a neutral zone where French and Spanish locals and officials met to settle fisher quarrels, to exchange prisoners and to sign treaties (2) By the Treaty of Bayonne of 1856 it was declared a condominium of both countries. (3) Accoording to the same treaty the administration of the island (apparentely only some police patrols) was/is carried out by each of the two nations for 6 months a year (aug 12 to feb 11 by France and feb 12 to aug 11 by Spain) (2) The most famous of these treaties was that of the Pyrénées of 1659 ending the war between the two nations. (3) As a result of a misintepretation of the treaty another minor island - named Île de la Conférence in French - was also included in the territory. The English name which is sometimes used - Pheasants Island - can also be seen as a misinterpretation as the French "faisan" doesn't mean "pheasant" but "those who do, who act" and refers to the delegates who signed the treaties or "faceries" FRENCH RAILWAY STATION IN BASEL-STADT The French Railway Station (Gare française/Französiche Bahnhof) - one of the three stations in the Swiss Canton of Basel-Stadt - was build in 1845. It was - and still is - a French enclave administered by the Cie. de la Ligne Srtasbourg - Bâle until 1854, then by the Cie. des Chemins de Fer de l'Est and since 1938 by the Socièté Nationale des Chemins de Fer français (SNCF).RELICS OF THE PAST
Two territories in France were - and still are (2004) - symbolic remnants of past times without any real political signification, but with a particular position as far as French and international law are concerned : - the Abbey of Hautecombe - the Pays QuintTHE ABBEY OF HAUTECOMBE
The Royal Abbey of Hautecombe in Savoy was founded in the early 12th century and soon became the major religious center of the Duchy. It was destroyed by the French in 1793, but restored by the Sardinian King Carlo Felice (1765 - 1931, r.: 1821 - 1831) in 1826. Like the rest of Savoy it was ceded to France in 1860. However, as the abbey was a burial place of several Savoy princes and of King Carlo Felice and as some of the monks were members of the Sardinian royal family, the abbey was granted a somewhat particular legal position by a French-Italian convention of 1862 : - France agreed to never change the religious purpose of Hautecombe and to provide all support necessary for the maintainance of the buildings and the continuation of the religious services. - At the same time the royal appartments in the abbey remained a possession of the Savoy family, who also kept the patronage over the abbey and the right to appoint its superiors. (1) (1) A consequence of this agreement was that, although the abbey did not enjoy extraterritoriality, not all French laws - especially not those dealing with the Catholic religion - were in vigor in its territory, the reason why it survived the wave of secularizations of the early 20th century. Abbots (A), Priors (P) and Superiors (S) of the Abbey 1864 - 1874 Archange Dumont (P) 1875 - 1878 Athanase Martin (P) 1878 - 1883 Célestin Gillet (P) 1813 - 1892 1883 - 1888 Maur Fignes (P) 1888 - 1910 Symphorien Gaillemin (P) 1911 - 1921 Jean de la Croix Marcadier (P) 1920 - 1922 Léon Guilloreau (A) 1922 - 1941 Bernard Laure (A) 1941 - 1943 André Cabassut (S) 1943 - 1978 Edward Dupriez (S) __________________________________________________________________________________THE PAYS QUINT
Pays Quint (Basq. : Kintoa) was the name given to pasture lands lying between the (French) Basque valley of Baigorry (Basq. : Baigorri) and (Spanish) Basque vallyes such as the valley of Baztán, the valley of Roncevalles (Basq. : Orreaga - Fr. : Ronceveaux), etc. Until the 17th century it was a neutral land used in common as a grazing land by all communities, only inhabited by some shepherds in the grazing seasons, but then it started to be colonized by the inhabitants of Baigorry, who established villages in the area. (2) The ensuing conflicts lasted until 1856 when France and Spain signed the Treaty of Bayonne that fixed their frontiers. The Pays Quint was awarded to Spain, but the inhabitants of Baigorry were granted very extended privileges as they : - retained the exclusive and perpetual right to use the Northern Pays-Quint as a permanent grazing land, (3) - were also granted the right to use the grass and the water of the Southern Pays -Quint for their herds, in exchange of a yearly fee payed by the French government and the right of the inhabitants of the valley of Baztán to freely drive their herds across French territory. (2) An agreement for the common use of grazing - or other - lands was not unusual among the semi-independent Basque Pyrenean valleys. Such treaties - styled "faceries" - often also had political terms as they proclaimed the neutrality of the signatories in the wars of their overlords France, Spain and for a time England. (this political aspect disappeared in the 18th century) Other surviving "Facerie lands" included and still include : - Faisans Island (in a modified form) - the Perpetual Facerie between French Cize (Basq.: Garazi) and Spanish Aezcoa (Basq.: Aézkoa) (since 1...) - the Perpetual Facerie between French Baretous and Spanish Roncal (Basq.: Erronkari) (since 1375) (4) (3) It's this point of "perpetual use" that makes the position of the Pays Quint unique in modern international law. (4) Each year on jul 13 Barétous still presents 3 heifters "aged 2 without spots" to Roncal.