States of the Weimar Republic
Upon the conclusion of World War I, Germany suffered significant territorial losses from the Treaty of Versailles. After the German Revolution, the 21 constituent states of Germany abolished their monarchies and continued as republics alongside the three pre-existing city-states within the new Weimar Republic. The former Ernestine duchies continued briefly as republics before merging to form the state of Thuringia in 1920, except for Saxe-Coburg, which became part of Bavaria. Additionally, the Saar Basin and the city of Danzig were detached from Germany and placed in the care of the League of Nations.
These states were gradually de facto abolished under the Nazi regime via the Gleichschaltung process, as the states were largely re-organised into several smaller Gaue as the administrative regions of the Nazi Party. Most of the remaining states were formally dissolved by the Allies at the end of World War II and ultimately re-organised into the modern states of Germany.
Free States[edit]
- Free State of Prussia
- Free State of Bavaria
- Free State of Saxony
- Free People's State of Württemberg
- People's State of Hesse
- Republic of Baden
- Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- Free State of Oldenburg
- Free State of Anhalt
- Free State of Brunswick
- Free State of Lippe
- Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe
- Free State of Waldeck-Pyrmont (to Prussia in 1929)
- Free State of Saxe-Coburg (to Bavaria in 1920)
- Free State of Thuringia (from 1920)
- Free State of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (merged to create Thuringia)
- Free State of Saxe-Altenburg (merged to create Thuringia)
- Free State of Saxe-Meiningen (merged to create Thuringia)
- Free State of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (merged to create Thuringia)
- Free State of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (merged to create Thuringia)
- Republic of Reuss (merged to create Thuringia)
Free and Hanseatic Cities[edit]
- Free and Hanseatic City of Bremen
- Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
- Free and Hanseatic City of Lübeck
Other territories[edit]
After World War I, the Saar Basin was occupied and governed jointly by the United Kingdom and France from 1920 to 1935 under a League of Nations mandate.[1] After a plebiscite was held in 1935, the region was returned to Germany.[2]
In accordance with the Treaty of Versailles, the city of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland) was detached from Germany on 15 November 1920 and turned into a semi-autonomous city-state under the protection of the League of Nations.[3][4] The Treaty stated that it was to remain separate from both Germany and the newly independent Poland, but was not its own sovereign state.[5] After the Nazis invaded Poland in September 1939, the city's autonomous status was revoked and it was annexed by Germany.
See also[edit]
- Provinces of Prussia
- States of the German Confederation
- States of the German Empire
- Administrative divisions of Nazi Germany
- Administrative divisions of East Germany
- States of Germany
References[edit]
- ^ Article 45-50 with Annex, Treaty of Versailles
- ^ M G Callagher. "The Saar Plebiscite, 1935". Moodle.kkc.school.nz. Retrieved 2014-05-02.
- ^ Loew, Peter Oliver (February 2011). Danzig – Biographie einer Stadt (in German). C.H. Beck. p. 189. ISBN 978-3-406-60587-1.
- ^ Samerski, Stefan (2003). Das Bistum Danzig in Lebensbildern (in German). LIT Verlag. p. 8. ISBN 3-8258-6284-4.
- ^ Kaczorowska, Alina (2010-07-21). Public International Law. Routledge. p. 199. ISBN 0-203-84847-0.
- Solsten, Eric (1999). Germany: A Country Study. DIANE Publishing Company. ISBN 0-7881-8179-3.
