Figure 1.-- We are not entirely sure how to interpret this photograph. It looks to be taken in aworking-class neigborhood of Saarbrücken duruing the plebiscite campaign. The NAZI flags and pennants as well as the children's salutes suggest strong support for the NAZIs in this neighborhood. How much of this is support for the NAZIs as opposed to support for Germany is difficult to understand. Remember that by 1935, the sawstica flaf was no longer a political party symbol, but the official German flag.

The Saar was a small territory in southwestern Germany with a population of about 800,000 people in 1933. It is located in southwestern Germany and is bounded by France on the south, Luxembourg in the west, and the German Rhineland-Palatinate on the north and east. The capital is Saarbrücken, a city on the Saar River. The Saarland was not a region that had any notable cohesion or historical role before World War I. The population was largely German-speaking Catholics. The region is named after the Saar River which rises in the French Vosges Mountains and is located west of the Rhine. Important coal mines are located in the Saarland and is heavily industrialized. After World War I, the Treaty of Versailles made the Saarland an autonomous territory to be administered by France until 1935 when a plebiscite would determine its final status. This reflected the general principle of national self-determination employed by the Allies after the War. The Versailles and other treaties which ended the War did not determine the final disposition of several territories. This was left to a series of plebiscites. The population in the Saarland voted in a plebiscite to rejoin Germany which at the time meant NAZI Germany (January 1935). The vote probably reflected a the population's desire to rejoin Germany and not a referendum on the NAZIs. It is likely that the vote would have gone to rejoin Germany regardless of the government in Berlin. One author describes it as a choice for "ethno-unification". The Saarlanders were the first German speakers to rejoin Reich under NAZI rule. The whole process was totally legal under the terms of the Versailles Treaty. Hitler who at the time was attempting to establish an image as a moderate leader, took the opportunity to renounce any further claims on France (January 1934).

The Saarland

The Saar was a small heavily ibdustrialized Rgineland territory in western Germany adjacent to Luxenbourg. with a population of about 800,000 people in 1933. It is located in western Germany west of the Rhine. It is bounded by France on the south, Luxembourg in the west, and the German Rhineland-Palatinate on the north and east. The capital is Saarbrücken, a city on the Saar River. The Saarland was not a region that had any notable cohesion or historical role before World War I. The population was largely German-speaking Catholics. The region is named after the Saar River which rises in the French Vosges Mountains and is located west of the Rhine. Important coal mines are located in the Saarland and is heavily industrialized.

Early History

After the fall of the Roman Empire what is now the Saarland becme dividef into several small principlities, some of which were ruled by the soverigns of larger ajoining sates. Gradually the Saarland principlities acquired a degree of local autonomy, but not as any united state. The major threat came from the French kings, especially Louis XIV who sought to acquire all the territory west of the Rhine. In the end it was the armies of Revolutionary France which seized the Saarland and other German-speaking territories west of the Rhine (1792). The Rhineland was incorporated into the French Republic. With Napoleon's defeat (1814-15), the Congress of Vienna decided the disposition of the region. They divided the region into three different territories. The largest part was given to Prussia which had played an important role in the defeat of Napoleon and already had a Rhine Province. Another part, more or less the modern Saarpfalz district, was assigned to Bavaria. The smaller section, the village of Nohfelden, was allocated to the Duke of Oldenburg. French Emperor Napoleon III declared war on Germany and ordered his army to cross the Saar River and seize Saarbrücken (July 31, 1870). This lsaunched the Franco-Prussian War. Prussian and her allies decisively defeated the French. In the aftermath of this victory, the German states formed the German empire under the leadership of Prussia. The Saar teritories thus became part of the German Empire.

Versailles Treaty (1919)

After Imperial Germany's defeat in World War I, the Treaty of Versailles made the Saarland an autonomous territory to be administered by France until 1935 when a plebiscite would determine its final status. This reflected the general principle of national self-determination employed by the Allies after the War. The Versailles and other treaties which ended the War did not determine the final disposition of several territories. This was left to a series of plebiscites. The plebiscites when they went against the Germans did not make them any more palatle to German public opinion. There were areas in which plebiscites did not decide the issue. Austria was specifically prohibited from uniting with Germny. In addition, Germans in the Polish Corridor (Poland), the Sudetenlnd (Czechoslovakia), and eastern Belgium were left outside the Reich. The French hoped that they might be able to permanently separate this small territory from Germany. Given the accepted principle of national self determination, the French did not want to be seen as simply annexing the Sarrland. So instead they essentially had the territory mandated to France for 15 year. There is no indication that Saarlanders had any desire to be separated from Germany. French negotiators seem to have felt that this would be time to give authorities the chance to win over public opinion. After 15 years the future of the Saarland would be decided by plebiscite.

French Administration (1920-35)

The League of Nations set up the Saargebiet as provided for under the terms of the Versailles Treaty. The area was administed by a Commission Government under the direction of a series of Chairmen: Victor Rault (France, 1920-26), George Washington Stephens (Canada, 1926), Ernest Colville Collins Wilton (UK, 1927-32), and Geoffrey George Knox (UK, 1932-35). The administration, however, was largely in the hands of the French. The French exploited the coal mines in the region. Surprisigly while the French goal was to detach the Saarland from Germany, there was no real effort made to win over the largely German population. We note references to the saar being largely etnically and culurally German. We have found no actual numbers, but as far as we can tell there was no substantial ethnically French population. And few Saarlanders were interested in becoming a German minority in France. And given French policies toward the German minority in Alsace-Loraine, there was good reason for their retisence. There French authorities actively supressed German language and culture. [Evans, p. 623.] There is no indication that the French authorities made any such effort to either supress the German language and culture o win over the Saarlanders during the 15 years they controlled the territory. One historian describes them as 'tactless and explotive'. It seems strange that the French would go to the trouble of setting up an autonimous mandate for 15 years in an effort to separate the Saarland from Germany if they did not make an effort to win over the Saarlanders, but this is just what occurred. Presumably they believed that the superiority of France and French culture were self evident. The French werre mostly seen essentially as explotive foreign occupier by the local population. Just as the plebecite date approached, the NAZIs seized power in Geramny (1933). And as a result of the repressive policies adopted by the NAZIs, some communists and other political opponents fled to the French-administered Saarland.

NAZIs Seize Control of Germany

The NAZI's after the July 1932 election were the largest German political party, but did not have a majority in the Reichstag. President Hindenburg refused to appoint Hitler Chancellor and instead turned to Papen. The political situatation remain unstable. The newly elected Reichstag in eptember voted no confidence in the Papen government. The November 1932 Reichstag election results were: NAZI Party 196 seats, Social Democrats 121 seats, The Communist Party 100 seats, and the Centre Party 70 seats. The NAZIs lost a few seats, but continued to be the biggest party in the Reichstag. Hitler continued to demand to be appointed Chancellor, Hindenburg refused saying that he said he did not trust Hitler to rule democratically. Hindenburg preferred Papen, but the Army objected. Hindenburg turned to General Kurt von Schleicher who lasted 57 days. Finally Hidenberg, running out of options, turned to Hitler whom he appointed January 30, 1933. Hidenberg attempted to control Hitler by placing Papen as vice-chancellor and surrounding Hitler with moderate ministers who supported Papen. Hitler bycarefully selecting his cabinent posts was within days gaining control. To be sure of success, however, he needed a mahority in the Reichstag. He insisted on a new election. In the middle of the elections the Reichstag went up in flames on Februarry 27, 1933. A Dutch Communist was blamed. Historins still debate who was responsible. Many blamed the NAZIs, but it appears that neither they or the Communist Party was responsible. [Davidson, pp. 17-22.] Hitler took full advantage of the situation and claimed that the fire was a Communist plot, and persuaded Hindenburg to sign an emergency Law for the Protection of the People and State. The law suspended people's rights and allowed the Nazis to arrest many Communists and others. Fear of Communism gained the NAZIs additional support at the polls. The March 1933 election results were: NAZI Party 288 seats, Social Democrats 120 seats, Communist Party 81 seats, Centre Party 73 seats, and Others 85 seats. The NAZIs still did not have a majority. Over half of the voters chose other parties. The Nationalist Party, however, decided to support the NAZIs. Their 53 deputies added to the 288 NAZI deputies provided the slim majority Hitler needed. Hitler immediately put an Enabling Act before the Reichstag and asked the members to vote for it. The Enabling Law (the NAZIs called it the Law for the Removal of Distress frommPeople and Reich) gave Hitler as Chancellor the power to make laws by decree for the next 4 years without Reichstag approval. NAZI SA storm troopers lined the entrance to the Reichstag to intimidate the opposition delegated. Only 94 members Social Democrat deputies (the Communists had been arrested) voted against the Enabling Law. Hitler now had the legal authority to reshape Germany.

Plebiscite Campaign (1934)

The NAZI seizure of power gsve them control of the police. They began arresting Communists and other political opponents and dealing with them savegely in conentration camps they began building (1933). Many political opponents believing they were in danger of being arrested, fled to the Saarland. It was the only German territory not under NAZI control. As the date for the plebiscite approched, these anti-NAZIs campaigned for a vote against reunification with Germany as long as the NAZIs were in power. The Saar was the only part of Germany that remained outside NAZI control. There was free press and the poice and judicial system operated wthin the bounds of a democrate stte. Anti-NAZI groups agitated for the Saarland to remain under French control. They made little headway amomg the ethnically German population whose politics was were primarily oritened aling natioanlist lines and thus attractd by NAZI nationalist rhetoric. Much of the population saw the anti-NAZIs as questionable, even treasonous, and therefore they attraccted little support. It shoud be mentioned that today the NAZIs are known for there horrendous crimes and brutality. This is not how the Saarlanders saw them. The were impressed with NAI nationalism and what looked like economic successes. There was no press censorship in the Saar, but they were influenced by Goebbel's propaganda. The anti-NAZI campaign had little impact. Most Saarlanders clearly wanted reunion with Germany. The anti-NAZIs had little success in swaying Saarland public opinion. The Saarlanders were essentially occupied by the French for 15 years and occupations tend to heightn nationalist sentiment. One potential source of opposition could have been the Catholic Church. The Saarland was largely Catholic. The local clergy, however, did not speak against reunion with Germany. There seem to have been several reasons for this. They may have noted the growing Communist Party in France. And the NAZIs as part of their calculated policy focused on the Communists and Socialists during their first years in power. Many Catholics in Germany and the Saarland were not yet aware of the full extent of NAZI hostility to the Church. A Concordat was even signed with the Vatican (1933). Thus Remanents of the Catholic Center Party, the nationalists, and the NAZIs all joined forced to campign to rejoin Germany. The Communists and Social Democrats opposed reunification, but as they had previously supported it, the about face confused voters. The NAZI energetically entered the debate. The pro-unification campaign was well-financed by the NAZIs. The NAZIs sent Winter Relief to the poor. Campaign propaganda pointed out to teachers and state employees the higher wages and pension benefits. Much was also made with the apparent success in dealing with the Depression and the worsening Depression in France. German radios (People's Receivers) were distributed in the Saarland. Over 80,000 pro-unification posters went up. About 47,000 Saarlnders living in the Reich were transported so they could vote. The opposition campaign was poorly financed and disorgainzed. [Evans, p. 624.] Added to this was widespread violence aimed at those opposing unification. SA members with iron bars attacked Social Democtic meetings. Individuals attempting to distribute anti-unification literature were beaten, some even shot. SS units, of course disguised in civilian clothes, were infiltated to help add to the violence. The violence was noted by internatinal observers. The police and French military forces, hoever, did little to stop the violence, apparently because of their poltical views toward Communists and Socialists. [Evans, p. 625.] It is likely that many who opposed reunification did not want to speak out to openly about it, realizing what would happen after the NAZIs took over. Another factor the vote is that the heavy industriak\liation, the labor movement was not strong. The strong Catholic influence affecting participation in the labor movement. And before the War the Prussian state was a major employer, for example, operating the coal mines.

The Vote (January 13, 1935)

The Saarland Plebiscite was held (January 13, 1935). Over 90 percent voted for union with Germany. The vote probably reflected the population's desire to rejoin Germany and not a referendum on the NAZIs. It is likely that the vote would have gone to rejoin Germany regardless of the government in Berlin. One author describes it as a choice for "ethno-unification". The Saarlanders were the first German speakers to rejoin Reich under NAZI rule. Most historians tend to seethe vote as an afirmation of nationalism and Germany and not of NAZIism. [Evans p. 626.] Goebels and the NAZI propaganda maxhine of course trumpeted as an affirmation of Hitler and the NAZIs and there it is not doubt that many Germans viewed it as another NAZI accomplishment. The whole process was totally legal under the terms of the Versailles Treaty.

NAZI Administration

Hitler appointed Josef Bürckel Reichskommissar für die Rückgliederung des Saarlandes. The jurisdiction over the Saarland was officially transfrred (March 1, 1935). By that time outspoken Communists and Socialists, knowing what had occurred in the Reich had left. Bürckel's job was to oversse the reincorporation of the Saarland into the Reich. Diplomatic pressure firced the NAZis to agree to introduce German laws and practices gradually and that Jews would not be attacked. The Gestapo seized the old trade union building. Individuals believed to have pro-French sympathies were fired. Jews were allowed to emograte on somewhat more favorable terms than the rest of the Reich for a few months, until the Nuremberg Laws were decreed (September 1, 1935). Hitler spoke in Saarbrücken, asserting, "In the end, blood is stronger than any documents of mere paper. What ink has written will one day be blotted out by blood." The reference was of course to German minorities in neigboring states. Hitler who at the time was attempting to establish an image as a moderate leader, took the opportunity to renounce any further claims on France After reintegration accomplished (June 17, 1936), Bürckel became Reichskommissar für das Saarland. Later the title was changed to Reichskommissar für die Saarpfalz (April 8, 1940. After the German victories in the West, the title was chnged again to Reichsstatthalter in der Westmark. Westmark meant Western March or Border Region (March 11, 1941). The Struthof concentration camp was set up just across the French border. It was a small camp opened in 1941 during World War II. Many of the "Night and Fog" (Nacht und Nebel) detainees were encarcerated here, including msany members of the French resistance. As Allied armies aproached the Reich and wih the death of Bürckel, Willi Stöhr was appointed Reichsstatthalter (September 28, 1944). Allied Armies enter the Saarland (march 1945).

Rearmament Campaign

Hitler since seuzing power had worked closely with the the military to rearm in violation of the Versailles Peace Treaty. Hitler was elated with his success in the Saarland. His exultation seems to have bben a factor in public announcemrnts concerning the until to now secreat rearmament program. Hitler announced the existence of the German Air Force--the Luftwaffe (March 15, 1935). This was a violation of the Versailles Treaty. He also announced the reintroductin of military conscription. The Wehrmacht would be expanded to 0.5 million men--five times that allowed by the Versailles Treaty. These two announcemnts essentially mean that Hitler was scrapping the Versailles Peace Treaty. The NAZIs staged a large military parade the following day. Defense Minister General Werner von Blomberg that Germany would nowcbe avle to take its rightful place among nations again. Hitler followed his consistent approach of speaking about how committed Germant=y was to peace. [Evans, p. 627.]

Post-World War II Era

The Saarland was heavily damaged during the World War II fighting. The Saarland was made part of the French occupation zone after the War. It was given an autonomous territorial government. A cistoms union was arranged with France (1948). France was assigned a 50-year lease on the Saarland coal mines (1950). The status of the Saarland became a complicating factor in the developing relationship between France and Germany. Negotiators from West Germany and France agreed to Europeanize the Saarland and to make economic union with France permanrent (1955). This arrangement was, however, rejeted by Saarlanders in a referendum. Finally West Germany and France agreed to integrate the Saarland with Germany (1956). This was finally accomplished (1959).

Sources

Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power (Penguin: New York, 2005), 941p.

Created: 12:34 AM 4/28/2007
Last updated: 2:05 AM 4/16/2019