What was the last territory gained by France from another country?

star_gazer

In May 1919, after threatening to invade Germany, the Allies presented the Treaty of Versailles to the Germans. On June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles, German representatives signed the treaty. Along with this treaty, the Allies also created individual treaties for the remaining Central powers. Austria signed the Treaty of St.-Germain in September of 1919, Bulgaria the Treaty of Neuilly in November, Hungary the Treaty of Trianon in June 1920, and the Ottoman Empire the Treaty of Sèvres in August 1920. The provisions of these treaties follow: The Treaty of Versailles (German)- Germany gave up territory to Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France and Poland. France gained control of Germany's Saar Valley coal fields for 15 years. http://library.thinkquest.org/10927/sumwwi.htm There very well could be later territory gained by the French but this is a good starting point. Dec 22 07, 8:32 PM

author

Not bad for a start. The territory gained by France by the Treaty of Versailles was Alsace-Lorraine. Quote: Alsace-Lorraine, the territories which were ceded to Germany in accordance with the Preliminaries of Peace signed at Versailles on February 26, 1871, and the Treaty of Frankfurt of May 10, 1871, were restored to French sovereignty without a plebiscite as from the date of the Armistice of November 11, 1918. (area 14,522 km², 1,815,000 inhabitants (1905)). And then there is Saarland. It did not become an integral part of France, even though France was going to control it for 15 years. Formally it was a League of nations mandate. Quote: The province of Saarland to be under the control of the League of Nations for 15 years, after that a plebiscite between France and Germany, to decide to which country it would belong. During this time the coal to be sent to France. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versailles_treaty Dec 23 07, 1:36 AM

author

Yet there were other acquisitions made by France after WW1. The territories were gained at about the same time as Alsace-Lorraine, so it might be hard to decide which came last. You are welcome to try. Quote: The French made their last major colonial gains after the First World War, when they gained mandates over the former Turkish territories of the Ottoman Empire that make up what is now Syria and Lebanon, as well as most of the former German colonies of Togo and Cameroon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_colonial_empires Dec 23 07, 1:44 AM

author

Coming to think of it, Syria (with Lebanon) was also formally a French League of Nations mandate. It was a so called 'A' mandate. Quote: 'A' mandates: Syria (France), 29 September 1923 - 1 January 1944, including Lebanon; Hatay (a former Ottoman Alexandretta sandjak) broke away from it and became a French protectorate, until it was ceded to the republic Turkey. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Nations_Mandate Dec 23 07, 2:35 AM

author

Of course, also French Cameroon and French Togoland were League of Nations mandates. They were so called 'Class B' mandates. Quote: Kamerun was split on 20 July 1922 into British Cameroons (under a Resident) and French Cameroun (under a Commissioner till 27 August 1940, then under a Governor), on 13 December 1946 transformed into United Nations Trust Territories, again a British (successively under senior district officers officiating as Resident, a Special Resident and Commissioners) and a French Trust (under a Haut Commissaire). (---) French Togoland (under a Commissioner) (United Kingdom and France), 20 July 1922 separate Mandates, transformed on 13 December 1946 into United Nations trust territories, French Togo Associated Territory (under a Commissioner till 30 August 1956, then under a High Commissioner as Autonomous Republic of Togo). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Nations_Mandate#Class_B_mandates Dec 23 07, 2:39 AM