We explain what the occupation of the Ruhr was. Also, its causes, consequences and main protagonists.
What was the occupation of the Ruhr?
The occupation of the Ruhr was the invasion of the mining and industrial region of the Ruhr River basinin Germany, by French and Belgian troops. The occupation It began on January 11, 1923 and ended on August 25, 1925, when the last occupying troops withdrew.
The occupation was decided by the president of the Council of Ministers of France, Raymond Poincaré, due to German failure to pay war reparations which were contemplated in the Treaty of Versailles (1919) and had been established by the Reparations Commission in 1921.
Poincaré's intention was to collect reparations through the direct exploitation of the region's resources, mainly coal. However, the occupation provoked a campaign of “passive resistance” by German workers, which stopped production in the Ruhr and generated an economic crisis in Germany marked by hyperinflation.
In 1924, the French government was going through its own economic problems and accepted the implementation of the Dawes Plan, sponsored by the United States to guarantee the payment of war reparations and maintain Germany's economic stability.
France and Belgium agreed to withdraw their troops from the Ruhr and the occupation ended in August 1925.
Key points
- The occupation of the German Ruhr region by French and Belgian troops began on January 11, 1923. It was carried out in response to German failure to pay war reparations.
- The Franco-Belgian occupation of the Ruhr led to Wilhelm Cuno, chancellor, German to encourage passive resistance by workers in the region, which paralyzed the economy and led to hyperinflation in Germany.
- The implementation of the Dawes Plan in 1924 to guarantee payments and stabilize the German economy promoted the end of the occupation. The last troops were evacuated on August 25, 1925.
The historical context
Following the Allied victory in World War I (1914-1918), the Paris Peace Conference led to the drafting of a series of peace treaties with the defeated nations. The Treaty of Versailles (1919) imposed a series of clauses on Germany that included the payment of war reparations.since she was considered responsible for the outbreak of the war.
Although the United States and the United Kingdom considered it advisable to adopt a conciliatory position with Germany to guarantee payments, the French government managed to impose a stricter position to force the German government to pay. For its part, Germany showed from the beginning little willingness to face expenses that exceeded its economic capacity.
In April 1921, the Reparations Commission communicated the total sum that Germany had to pay to the victorious countries. In July 1922the German government requested a new moratorium and delayed the shipment of coal that was to arrive in France as part of the repairs. The response from the president of the French Council of Ministers, Raymond Poincaré, was immediate.
The Franco-Belgian occupation of the Ruhr
On December 26, 1922, Raymond Poincaré managed, through his representative on the Reparations Commission, to once again declare Germany in “voluntary non-payment.” On January 9, 1923 it was proclaimed that Germany had willfully violated coal deliveries agreed and, on January 11, 1923, French and Belgian troops occupied the Ruhr district. The British kept their distance from this decision and the Italians, although theoretically united in the measure, did not take part in the action.
The German government of Chancellor Wilhelm Cuno incited the Ruhr population to passive resistancewhich included the strike. At the same time, it began to issue currency to pay the expenses incurred by helping the workers. on strike and for compensation to their employers. Meanwhile, the French government attempted unsuccessfully to foment a separatist movement in the Rhineland.
The withdrawal of Franco-Belgian troops from the Ruhr
The French took control of the dormant companies in the Ruhr and brought in specialists to get them up and running. However, The entire operation ended in economic failure: Germany plunged into hyperinflation and the mark (German currency) lost practically all its value.
France, for its part, went through serious economic difficulties and the franc began to devalue significantly. In addition, France needed American loans that were in danger because the United States government was opposed to the occupation of the Ruhr.
In August 1923 Cuno resigned and the new German cabinet, chaired by Gustav Stresemann, called on September 26 for the cessation of passive resistance. Shortly after, The French government of Édouard Herriot accepted the withdrawal from the Ruhr which was implemented in several deadlines.
The application in 1924 of the Dawes Plan to guarantee German payments and maintain economic stability contributed to a new climate of harmony. The withdrawal of French and Belgian troops from the Ruhr was completed on August 25, 1925.
The protagonists of the occupation of the Ruhr
Raymond Poincare 1860-1934
Raymond Poincaré was a French politician who began his political career as a deputy in 1887. He was president of the french republic between 1913 and 1920 and president of the Council of Ministers on three occasions.
Of conservative and nationalist tendency, during his second term at the head of the French government, between 1922 and 1924, adopted a tough position towards Germany and demanded full and prompt payment of war reparations.
The German inability to pay and the subsequent request for a new moratorium led Poincaré to decide the French occupation of the Ruhr basin.
The occupation of the Ruhr and the German policy of passive resistance They caused hyperinflation in Germany and a currency depreciation in France.
Economic difficulties and the French need for American loans led France's next government, led by Édouard Herriot, to accept the Dawes Plan and progressively withdraw troops from the Ruhr.
Wilhelm Cuno 1876-1933
Wilhelm Cuno was a German politician and businessman who began performing advisory functions for the German government and, during the First World War, held various positions related to the administration of food supplies.
In November 1922, Cuno was appointed chancellor of the Weimar Republic. He was unable to renegotiate war reparations that Germany was unable to pay. In January 1923, French and Belgian troops occupied the Ruhr region and Cuno called on the German population to passive resistance.
Passive resistance worsened Germany's economic situation and led to hyperinflation. Cuno lost the vote of confidence and had to resign in August 1923. He was replaced by Gustav Stresemann, who dictated the cessation of passive resistance.
Gustav Stresemann 1878-1929
The businessman Gustav Stresemann began to dedicate himself to politics in 1903, when he joined the National Liberal Party. In 1907 he began his legislative activity in the Reichstag. (German Parliament).
Although he was a supporter of German expansionism, after the defeat in the First World War he adapted to the republican reality established by the Weimar Republic. In 1918 he founded the German People's Party.
Stresemann was appointed chancellor of Germany to replace Wilhelm Cuno in August 1923. His position regarding the French and Belgian occupation of the Ruhr basin was to announce the end of passive resistance which had been encouraged by his predecessor.
During his mandate the mark continued to lose value but his government introduced a new currency, the Rentenmark, to stop hyperinflation. Furthermore, he was willing to pay the reparations owed if France and Belgium withdrew from the Ruhr.
Stresemann was forced to resign as chancellor in November 1923 but continued to serve as foreign minister until 1929. In that position encouraged cooperation with France which led to the withdrawal of French and Belgian troops from the Ruhr in August 1925.
Edouard Herriot (1872-1957)
Edouard Herriot was a french politician. The son of an army officer, he began his political career at a very young age and, during the First World War, he was Minister of Transport and Public Works in the government of Aristide Briand. He stood out as an orator and very soon became the leader of the Radical Party.
As leader of the Left Cartel (a coalition of radicals and socialists), He came to power in 1924. He promoted a conciliatory foreign policy: established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union (USSR), accepted the Dawes Plan and agreed to evacuate French troops from the Ruhr. His government was short: his first cabinet fell in 1925 and his second term in 1926 lasted only three days. He returned to serve as president of the Council of Ministers for a few months in 1932.
From the opposition he collaborated in 1934 in the configuration of the Popular Front. This anti-fascist coalition triumphed in the 1936 elections and Herriot was elected president of the Chamber of Deputies. He remained in this position until the surrender of France to Adolf Hitler in June 1940, in the context of World War II (1939-1945).
References
- Britannica, Encyclopaedia (2023). Edouard Herriot. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/
- Britannica, Encyclopaedia (2017). Ruhr occupation. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/
- Britannica, Encyclopaedia (2022). Treaty of Versailles. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/
- Cabrera, M., Juliá, S. & Martín Aceña, P. (comps.) (1991). Europe in crisis. 1919-1939. Pablo Iglesias Editorial.
- Sevillano Calero, F. (2020). Europe between the wars. The disrupted order. Synthesis.
