Military Inter-Allied Commission of Control
Encyclopedia
The term Military Inter-Allied Commission of Control was used in a series of peace treaties
concluded after the First World War (1914–1918) between different countries. Each of these treaties was concluded between the Principal Allied and Associated Powers (consisting of the United States of America, the British Empire
, France
, Italy
and Japan
) on the one hand, and one of the Central Powers
like Germany
, Turkey
or Bulgaria
.
One of the terms of such treaties required conversion of all of the Central Powers' military and armaments related production and related facilities into purely commercial use. The decision and the modus operandi to ensure this rested with a Military Inter-Allied Commission of Control. The Military Inter-Allied Commission of Control was also entrusted with a number of other responsibilities, including:
Upper Silesia was a German province on the border with Poland and Austrian. One of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles gave over a large proportion of Upper Silesia to the newly born Polish State. Germany protested furiously and the allies decided to hold a plebiscite to determine the future nationality of the area. After the Peace Treaty was signed, Inter Allied Police under the French General Le Rond were sent to Upper Silesia under the control of the Inter-Allied Control Commission which would take over the Government and arrange for the plebiscite which was held on 20 March 1921.
In early 1921 insurgents from both Germany and Poland were fighting in order to gain control of the area. On 23 May 1921 the war office ordered 4 battalions from the British Army on the Rhine to Silesia to put down the insurrection that had arisen between the rival ethnic groups and the authority of the Commission.
The arrival of British troops brought serious fighting to an end, however disturbances would often flare up and on 12 June 1921 a sergeant from the Durham Light Infantry was killed and there was a clash between French troops and the German Police.
To help maintain order, the Inter Allied Commission established a "Parish Constabulary" in each district as soon as the area had been cleared of insurgents. Each District also had six Delegations of Control assigned to them, each under the command of a British Officer selected by the Commission for his knowledge of the German language. Each officer had about 200 "Inter Allied Police of Upper Silesia" placed at his disposal, half-German, half from Upper Silesia who had been sworn to neutrality. A large number of the Poles were actually ex-insurgents and this created difficulties of its own. The role of the Control Delegations were to:
• To make certain that all military organisations of the insurrection period were effectively dissolved;
• To bring about the dissolution of all small armed parties still existing;
• To make sure that all non-Upper Silesians belonging to insurrectionary formations had actually left the country;
• To enforce the departure of all non-Silesians not in possession of a correct passport; and
• To report on the organisation and working of the Parish Constabulary.
Until the Parish Constabularies were established the Inter-Allied Police patrolled the country.
Gardner F (undated) More Reminiscences of an Old Bohemian. Hutchinson.
Paris Peace Conference, 1919
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
concluded after the First World War (1914–1918) between different countries. Each of these treaties was concluded between the Principal Allied and Associated Powers (consisting of the United States of America, the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) on the one hand, and one of the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
like Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
or Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
.
One of the terms of such treaties required conversion of all of the Central Powers' military and armaments related production and related facilities into purely commercial use. The decision and the modus operandi to ensure this rested with a Military Inter-Allied Commission of Control. The Military Inter-Allied Commission of Control was also entrusted with a number of other responsibilities, including:
- to fix the number of customs officials, local urban and rural police, forest guards and other like officials under the control of the Government of the central power concerned.
- to receive from the central power concerned information relating to the location of the stocks and depots of munitions, the armament of the fortified works, fortresses and forts, the situation of the works or factories for the production of arms, munitions and war material and their operations.
Sources: example
Upper Silesia: May 1921 – July 1922Upper Silesia was a German province on the border with Poland and Austrian. One of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles gave over a large proportion of Upper Silesia to the newly born Polish State. Germany protested furiously and the allies decided to hold a plebiscite to determine the future nationality of the area. After the Peace Treaty was signed, Inter Allied Police under the French General Le Rond were sent to Upper Silesia under the control of the Inter-Allied Control Commission which would take over the Government and arrange for the plebiscite which was held on 20 March 1921.
In early 1921 insurgents from both Germany and Poland were fighting in order to gain control of the area. On 23 May 1921 the war office ordered 4 battalions from the British Army on the Rhine to Silesia to put down the insurrection that had arisen between the rival ethnic groups and the authority of the Commission.
The arrival of British troops brought serious fighting to an end, however disturbances would often flare up and on 12 June 1921 a sergeant from the Durham Light Infantry was killed and there was a clash between French troops and the German Police.
To help maintain order, the Inter Allied Commission established a "Parish Constabulary" in each district as soon as the area had been cleared of insurgents. Each District also had six Delegations of Control assigned to them, each under the command of a British Officer selected by the Commission for his knowledge of the German language. Each officer had about 200 "Inter Allied Police of Upper Silesia" placed at his disposal, half-German, half from Upper Silesia who had been sworn to neutrality. A large number of the Poles were actually ex-insurgents and this created difficulties of its own. The role of the Control Delegations were to:
• To make certain that all military organisations of the insurrection period were effectively dissolved;
• To bring about the dissolution of all small armed parties still existing;
• To make sure that all non-Upper Silesians belonging to insurrectionary formations had actually left the country;
• To enforce the departure of all non-Silesians not in possession of a correct passport; and
• To report on the organisation and working of the Parish Constabulary.
Until the Parish Constabularies were established the Inter-Allied Police patrolled the country.
Gardner F (undated) More Reminiscences of an Old Bohemian. Hutchinson.