1/6/1919 The Rhineland Revolt: a farcical attempt to detach the Rhineland from Germany

At the Paris Conference French negotiators pushed for the Rhineland to be detached from Germany and either turned into a buffer state or annexed to France. The other Allies however never had any great enthusiasm for this scheme, and the peace terms the Allies have agreed provide that that the Rhineland will remain part of Germany but be permanently demilitarised once a fifteen year long Allied occupation ends.

Nevertheless, the French continue to dream of separating the Rhineland from Germany. If some kind of fait accompli could be engineered then the British and Americans might just have to accept the region’s independence. French officers have been in contact with Rhineland separatists, persuading themselves that these eccentrics have wide support in the local population. Now, with some French support, the separatists attempt to seize power in the Rhineland. Pro-independence placards appear in the French occupied part of the Rhineland, calling on…