1935 Saar status referendum
1935 Saar status referendum
On 13 January 1935, people in the Saar Basin voted on its future. The result was a near-unanimous move to rejoin Germany:
- Reunification with Germany: 477,089 votes (90.73%)
- Stay under League of Nations administration (status quo): 46,613 votes (8.86%)
- Unification with France: 2,124 votes (0.40%)
Total valid votes: 525,826; turnout: 97.86% of 539,542 registered voters.
Background and process
- After World War I, the Saar was separated from Germany and run by the League of Nations, with France controlling its coal mines.
- After fifteen years, a plebiscite was arranged to decide its fate.
- An international peacekeeping force of about 3,300 troops from Britain, Italy, Sweden, and the Netherlands operated to keep order during the vote, under British General John Brind. The mission patrolled but did not police, and there was little violence.
Campaign and pressures
- While many Saar residents initially favored returning to Germany, Nazi intimidation and German propaganda influenced the campaign.
- Anti-Nazi groups, Catholics, and some others opposed Nazism and worried about returning to Germany under Hitler.
- The environment included reports of coercion and pressure, but the vote produced a strong majority for reunification with Germany.
Aftermath
- The Saar returned to Germany on 1 March 1935.
- It became part of Germany again, first as part of the Gau Pfalz-Saar (later renamed Gau Saarpfalz, then Gau Westmark).
- Adolf Hitler’s appointee Josef Bürckel served as Reichskommissar and later as Gauleiter; Willi Stöhr led the territory toward the end of World War II.
- The referendum and its aftermath helped strengthen Nazi control in the Saar and led to a crackdown on the Catholic Church and other opponents.
Peacekeeping note
- The international force’s presence is often cited as an early example of peacekeeping, distinct from traditional collective security.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 05:08 (CET).