League of Nations and the protection

The Saar land was placed under the League of Nations Protection

Germany lost World War I. In 1919 the Treaty of Versailles (including USA, UK, France and other allied states) gave territorial, military and economic provisions on defeated Germany. 
This resulted of Germany giving back Alsace- Lorraine to France. The Saar was then given to the League of nations protection for 15 years. This meant that the United Kingdom and France were occupying Saar under the League of Nations commands until 1935. The coalfields had to be ceded to France as they should assure the access to natural sources as part of the retaliation. During the war, Germany wrecked the coalmines of France and as a repayment, Saar should give France their coal for a period of 15 years. During the time where Saar was occupied, there where governed by five-person Governing Commission (Regierungskommission, Reko) Under this commission, it had to include one French and one German resident of the Saar. According to paragraph 23 of the Versailles Treaty the Commission had to establish a assembly for the pupils in the Saar to re elect in fifteen years as where they should belong to.

 

A plebiscite was held in 1935 in Saarland asking if they wanted to re join.  

Under the terms of the mandate the Governing Commission had to at least include a French and a German resident of the Saar. After this happened, the plebiscite happened to discuss the future of the Saar and where it would belong to. After this was held, the Germans that lived in the Saar could vote of where their country should belong. They could either say it stays in France or they could belong to Germany again. The plebiscite was finally held on January 13, 1935.
Over  90% voted for the reunion with Germany. For Hitler this meant, that it was one step nearer to have a union of all Germans in Germany. He also had the ability to claim the plebiscite as a demonstration to support his government.

This is a picture showing how the plebiscite worked. They would all wait outside a house to vote. This could take the whole day as everybody wanted to vote.

 

 

 Video of The Saar Basin and what happened:

  Saar lands own stamps

Since saarland was taken over from France, they decided to get their own stamps to show that they have a "Gebiet" This means they have their own territory. As the Heading at the bottm states: "Saar Gebiet" Which means Saar territory. The first stamps Saar had where called "Saare" which was french, to show that Saarlnd Belongs to France. As the plebiscite happened the germans overwrote the stamps and wrote it back in German.On the left you can see the French Saar stamp, and on the right you can see the German Stamp.