Ratifications were to be exchanged in fifteen days, or earlier if possible. They were exchanged at Vienna on October 12. The texts of both Armistice Convention and Treaty of Peace were in French. No protocols of the proceedings have been published. (D) Treaty of Frankfort between Germany and France, 1871. The first treaty (May 10) was preceded by an Armistice (January 28) and a Preliminary Treaty of Peace (February 26). (1) Armistice. A convention of armistice1 was signed at Versailles, then in the occupation of the German army, on January 28, 1871. The signatories were Count von Bismarck, Chancellor of the German Confederation, representing the Emperor of Germany,2 King of Prussia; and M. Jules Favre, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Government of National Defence. ART. 1.—It was to commence, for Paris, on the same day, and for the departments three days later. It was to last for twenty-one days, so that if not renewed, it would end everywhere on February 19 at midday. The belligerent armies were to retain their respective positions, and a line of demarcation was then laid down. The right of maintaining its authority in the territory it occupied was reserved to each army; also that of employing the means judged by its commanders to be necessary for that purpose. The armistice applied equally to the naval forces of the belligerents, the meridian of Dunkerque being adopted as the line of demarcation. Captures made between the conclusion of the armistice and its notification, as well as prisoners made in engagements during the same interval, were to be restored. Military operations in the departments of Doubs, Jura, and Côte-d'Or, as well as the siege of Belfort, were to continue 1 B. & F. S. P. lxii. 49; Nouveau Recueil Général, xix. 627. 2 German Emperor is the correct title. 3 It was extended first to February 24, then to February 26, and finally to March 12. independently of the armistice until an agreement should be arrived at respecting the line of demarcation in these three departments. This was done by a Convention of February 15. ART. 2.-The object of the armistice was to allow of the free election of an Assembly to decide whether the war should be continued, or on what conditions peace should be made. It was to meet at Bordeaux. ART. 3.-The forts forming the perimeter of the outer defences of Paris, and the war-material therein, to be handed over to the German army. The procedure to be regulated by a special protocol. ART. 4.-During the armistice the German army were not to enter Paris. This was modified by the additional convention of Preliminaries of Peace, of February 26.1 ART. 5.-The guns on the walls of Paris to be dismounted, and their carriages to be removed to forts to be pointed out by a commissioner of the German army. ART. 6. The garrisons, consisting of regulars, garde mobile and naval forces, of the forts and of Paris, to be prisoners of war, excepting a division of 12,000 men which the military authorities in Paris would retain for internal service. The prisoners of war to lay down their arms, which were to be handed over, but the said troops to remain inside the city. At the expiration of the armistice, if peace was not concluded by that time, all the military men confined in Paris were to give themselves up as prisoners of war. Officers to keep their arms. ART. 7.-The National Guard to keep its arms; the same concession being made to the gendarmerie, the garde républicaine, customs-officers, and firemen. The total numbers in this category not to exceed 3,500 men. All the bodies of francs-tireurs to be disbanded by an order of the French Government. ART. 8.-Immediately after the signature of these presents, and before possession was taken of the forts, the Commanderin-Chief of the German armies to afford all facilities for preparing the provisioning of Paris and bringing to the city the goods destined therefor. ART. 9.-After the delivery of the forts and the disarmament of the walls and the garrison, stipulated in Articles 5 and 6, the provisioning of Paris shall take place freely by rail and water. The provisions destined for this purpose might not be drawn 1 B. & F. S. P. lxxii. 64, 65. from the districts occupied by the German troops unless permission were given by the commanders of the latter. ART. 10.-Every person desiring to leave Paris to be provided with a permit issued by the French military authorities and visé by the German outposts. ART. 11.—The city of Paris to pay a municipal war contribution of 200,000,000 francs. This payment to be made before the fifteenth day of the armistice; and the mode of payment to be determined by a German and French mixed commission. ART. 12.-During the armistice nothing to be withdrawn from public securities which might serve as pledges for the recovery of war contributions. ART. 13.-The introduction into Paris of arms and munitions, or of materials suitable for their manufacture, to be prohibited during the period of the armistice. ART. 14. The exchange of prisoners of war made by the French army since the commencement of the war to be proceeded with immediately. For this purpose the French authorities to deliver to the German military authorities of Amiens, le Mans, Orleans, and Vesoul, without delay, a list of names of German prisoners of war. The liberation of German prisoners of war to be effected at the points nearest to the frontier. The German authorities to hand over at the same points, and without delay, to the French military authorities a similar number of French prisoners of corresponding ranks. The exchange was to extend to civilian prisoners, such as captains of merchant ships and French civilian prisoners interned in Germany. A postal service for unclosed letters between Paris and the departments to be organized through the quarters-general at Versailles. By Art. 4 of an annexe to this armistice convention, signed at Versailles, Jan. 29, arms, field-pieces, and matériel were to be delivered to the German military authorities within fifteen days, and deposited by the French authorities at Sevran. A list of the armaments and of the matériel to be furnished by the French authorities before February 4. The carriages of the guns on the ramparts to be removed before the same date. Subsequent Conventions.-A Convention of demarcation 1 between the French Northern army and the German army was signed on Jan. 31, 1871. 1 1 B. & F. S. P. lxxii. 54; Nouv. Rec. Général, xix. 636. A Convention for the entrance and reception of the French army in Switzerland was signed at Verrières, Feb. 1, 1871, between General Herzog, General-in-Chief of the army of the Swiss Confederation, and General Clinchant, Commander-inChief of the First French army. An additional convention of demarcation between the army of the North and the German army at Amiens was signed on Feb. 5, 1871. 3 Additional articles to the Armistice Convention of Jan. 28, 1871, between the German Confederation and France, for the surrender of the fortress of Belfort, were signed on Feb. 15, 1871, by Jules Favre and Bismarck. (2) Preliminaries. 4 A preliminary treaty of peace between Germany and France was signed at Versailles, on Feb. 26, 1871; and ratifications were exchanged there on March 2. The signatories were: Count Otto von Bismarck-Schönhausen, Chancellor of the German Empire, Count Otto von BraySteinberg, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bavaria, Baron August von Wächter, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Württemberg, and M. Julius Joly, President of the Council of Baden, as representatives of the German Empire, of the one part; and M. Thiers, Chief of the Executive Power of the French Republic, and M. Jules Favre, Minister for Foreign Affairs, as representatives of France of the other part. ART. 1.-France abandons in favour of the German Empire all her right and title to the territories lying to the east of the frontier hereinafter laid down. [Details.] ART. 2.--France to pay to the Emperor of Germany the sum of five milliards of francs. ART. 3.-Arrangements for gradual evacuation of the French territories occupied by the German troops, to begin after the ratification of this treaty by the National Assembly. ART. 4.-German troops not to make requisitions either in money or kind in the departments occupied by them, but they 1 B. & F. S. P. lxii. 56; Nouv. Rec. Général, xix. 639. shall be fed at the expense of the French Government, in accordance with a special convention.1 ART. 5.-Provides for the interests of the inhabitants of the ceded territories, and for freedom of emigration. ART. 6.-Prisoners of war to be liberated immediately after the ratification of these preliminaries. ART. 7.-Negotiations for the definitive Treaty of Peace to be concluded on the basis of these preliminaries, to be opened at Brussels immediately after ratification of preliminaries. --- ART. 8. After the conclusion and ratification of the Treaty of Peace, the administration of the departments remaining in the occupation of the German troops to be handed over to the French authorities, but the latter will have to obey the orders of the German commanders given in the interest of the safety, maintenance, and distribution of the troops. ART. 9.-These preliminaries give to German military authorities no right to portions of territory not at present occupied. ART. 10.-Ratification clause. (3) Final Treaty. This was signed at Frankfort, May 10.2 In accordance with Art. 7 of the Preliminaries, a meeting of plenipotentiaries for the conclusion of the definitive Treaty of Peace took place at Brussels on March 28.3 France was represented by Baron Baude, French minister at Brussels, and M. de Goulard, member of the National Assembly, assisted by two commissioners, M. de Clercq and General Doutrelaine. Germany was represented by Herr von Balan, minister at Brussels, and Count Harry von Arnim, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Pope, with the envoys of Bavaria, Württemberg, and Baden who were named in the Preliminaries. The first meeting was occupied solely with the presentation and verification of full-powers. It was arranged that no protocols of the discussions should be drawn up, except of meetings at which the definitive draft of an article was agreed 2 B. & F. S. P. lxxi. 77; Nouv. Rec. Général, xix. 688; Rec. des Traités, Conventions, Lois, Décrets et autres Actes relatifs à la paix avec l'Allemagne, i. 65. 3 G. May, Le Traité de Frankfort, p. 41. |