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granted to the region. The autonomy was given in the name of
Lithuania, which was a significant Lithuanian diplomatic achievement, and the four international signatories only confirmed it. Matters specifically placed under local authority included public worship and education; local administrative divisions; health and social welfare; roads and public works; civil, criminal, and commercial legislation; local police and taxes (except custom duties). The region had its own legislative body (
20:
464:
217:
On
February 16, 1923, the Conference of Ambassadors relinquished its rights that granted by the Treaty of Versailles and transferred the district over to Lithuania under the condition that a formal international treaty would be signed later. Lithuania accepted the transfer, and negotiations over the
549:
The convention included the statute of region and an agreement on port of Klaipėda and transit as an addendum. The statute of Klaipėda Region had 38 articles and was akin to a constitution. It dealt primarily with detailing the level of legislative, judicial, administrative and financial autonomy
568:
was appointed by the governor and served as the executive institution as long as it had confidence of the parliament. The governor, in agreement with the
Directorate, could dissolve the parliament. The Directorate appointed tribunal judges for life. The Lithuanian and German languages were given
701:
applied. The agreement established a three-member Harbor Board charged with administration, operation, and development of the port. One member was appointed by the
Lithuanian government, another by the Directorate and the last by the League of Nations. The transit agreement had four articles,
516:
The convention had 18 articles. The region was transferred to
Lithuania without conditional provisions and granted legislative, judicial, administrative and financial autonomy to preserve "traditional rights and culture of the inhabitants". The residents were automatically granted
698:
541:
when it supported anti-Lithuanian activities in the region and accused
Lithuania of violating minority rights. The region could not be transferred to other countries without the consent of the contracting parties. That article became relevant in 1939 when
289:
on
October 3. The convention was ratified by the Entente Powers and took full effect on August 25, 1925. The Lithuanians hailed the final version as their major diplomatic victory since Poland received no special rights in the port.
198:, began on January 9, 1923. The rebels met little resistance and controlled the region by January 15. They organised a new pro-Lithuanian Directorate, the main governing institution, and petitioned to join Lithuania.
237:
The negotiations resumed in July, when
Laroche presented two other projects, which were very similar to the first. Seeing that the situation had become deadlocked, Lithuanians suggested to turn over the case to the
218:
treaty began on March 24, 1923. A special commission of the
Conference, chaired by the French diplomat Jules Laroche, presented a 50-paragraph project, which reserved extensive rights of the
1152:
569:
equal status as official languages of the region. Amending the statute required a three-fifths majority in the local parliament and could be submitted for approval to a local referendum.
115:, particularly its timber traffic, was internationalised, which granted freedom of transit to all nations. The convention became obsolete when the Klaipėda Region was attached to
404:
445:
250:. On December 17, 1923, the League authorized a three-man commission to analyze the situation and prepare a report. The commission was headed by the American diplomat
1157:
1177:
96:
and set out to formalise the territorial changes. The inhabitants of the area were not given a choice on the ballot on whether they wanted join
Lithuania or
161:, or Memel Territory. The Lithuanians believed that the region should be attached to Lithuania because of its significant Lithuanian-speaking population of
266:
529:
according to the Treaty of Versailles as they related to the region and to the protect rights of minorities and foreign businesses. Any member of the
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534:
316:
239:
1167:
265:
After negotiations with the Lithuanians, the League adopted the convention on March 14, 1924, despite Polish protests. The document was signed by
103:
The region was granted extensive legislative, judicial, administrative and financial autonomy. It had its own democratically-elected parliament (
254:
and included the Dutch technical expert on transportation A. G. Kröller and the Swedish professor M. Hoernell. The commission visited Klaipėda,
565:
1182:
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or international agreements. The reasons for a veto did not include laws that were contrary to the interest of Lithuania. The five-member
551:
104:
1132:
431:
364:
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appointed a governor of the region. The governor could not veto laws passed the local parliament unless they violated the statute, the
90:
in January 1923, the Lithuanians seized control of the region and attached it to Lithuania. The Conference of Ambassadors accepted the
543:
209:
decided to dispatch a special commission to the region, reject a military intervention and agree to open negotiations with Lithuania.
120:
1101:
1068:
1041:
1022:
1003:
503:
247:
205:, the Lithuanian Parliament, accepted the petition and thus formalised the incorporation of the Klaipėda Region into Lithuania. The
176:
However, such Lithuanian aspirations gained little local or international support. It seemed that the region would be turned into a
485:
478:
530:
286:
438:
1147:
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226:. That was completely unacceptable to Lithuania, which terminated all diplomatic ties with Poland over a bitter dispute over
195:
414:
369:
994:
Andriulis, Vytautas; Mindaugas Maksimaitis; Vytautas Pakalniškis; Justinas Sigitas Pečkaitis; Antanas Šenavičius (2002).
1172:
394:
389:
384:
533:
could draw attention of the League to any infractions of the convention, and such disputes would be referred to the
1137:
359:
474:
561:
419:
409:
399:
206:
154:
40:
1092:
Pėteraitis, Vilius, ed. (2003). "Klaipėdos krašto okupacijos ir administracijos išlaidų atlyginimo protokolas".
1142:
111:). The administration and operation of the port of Klaipėda was entrusted to a three-member Harbor Board. The
274:
525:. The new Lithuanian citizens were exempt from military service until January 1930. Lithuania agreed to pay
251:
108:
557:
518:
219:
354:
344:
339:
303:
282:
231:
185:
44:
702:
guaranteed freedom of transit and concerned particularly the export and the import of timber via the
697:
The agreement on port of Klaipėda specified that it was a port of international concern and that the
326:
162:
146:
79:
270:
223:
181:
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Barcelona Convention and Statute on the Regime of Navigable Waterways of International Concern
334:
278:
243:
234:, responded by presenting its own project, which reserved no rights to Poland, in April 1923.
83:
142:
48:
526:
97:
52:
607:
227:
188:, Lithuanian activists decided to organise a revolt, capture the region and present a
1126:
190:
150:
92:
1096:(in Lithuanian). Vol. 2. Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas.
1063:(in Lithuanian). Vol. 2. Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas.
618:
596:
573:
Schedule of war reparations for Klaipėda Region per agreement of February 15, 1930
538:
246:. The Conference decided to appeal to the League on the basis of Article 11 of the
202:
116:
75:
23:
Historical map of Klaipėda Region (Memelland) and the northern part of East Prussia
19:
703:
463:
166:
138:
112:
68:
100:. After difficult negotiations, the convention was agreed upon in spring 1924.
16:
1924 territorial settlement between Lithuania and the Conference of Ambassadors
177:
170:
157:
effective January 10, 1920. The French became temporary administrators of the
64:
1036:. translated by Algirdas Budreckis (6th ed.). New York: Manyland Books.
556:), which was elected for a three-year term in free democratic elections. The
585:
36:
1015:
Lithuania in European Politics: The Years of the First Republic, 1918–1940
259:
255:
86:
administration with a provisional French garrison. During the staged
1059:
Gliožaitis, Algirdas Antanas (2003). "Klaipėdos krašto konvencija".
56:
1051:
141:
had been part of a German state since their conquest during the
1013:
Eidintas, Alfonsas; Vytautas Žalys; Alfred Erich Senn (1999).
457:
194:. The revolt, organised by the Lithuanian government and the
521:
but were given a window of 18 months to opt out and choose
184:. Rather than waiting for an unfavourable decision by the
546:, which demanded the transfer of the region to Germany.
173:, was the only viable access to the sea for Lithuania.
571:
153:, and according to Article 99, it was placed under a
1017:(Paperback ed.). New York: St. Martin's Press.
145:
in the 13th century. According to Article 28 of the
262:and presented a draft treaty on February 18, 1924.
59:on May 8, 1924. According to the convention, the
1078:LNTS – League of Nations Treaty Series (1924).
439:
8:
1153:Treaties of the Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
1081:Convention concerning the Territory of Memel
33:Convention concerning the Territory of Memel
446:
432:
297:
504:Learn how and when to remove this message
35:) was an international agreement between
535:Permanent Court of International Justice
240:Permanent Court of International Justice
18:
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936:
917:
915:
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761:
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310:Statutes and Constitutions of Lithuania
309:
896:
894:
827:
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779:
777:
738:
736:
484:Please improve this section by adding
365:Mutual Pledge of the Two Nations, 1791
107:) and appointed executive branch (the
1158:Treaties of the French Third Republic
285:on May 8. It was registered with the
7:
998:(in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Justitia.
544:Lithuania was presented an ultimatum
370:Temporary Constitutions of 1918-1920
304:politics and government of Lithuania
230:. The Lithuanian delegation, led by
1178:Treaties entered into force in 1924
410:Lithuanian SSR Constitution of 1978
400:Lithuanian SSR Constitution of 1940
149:, the region was detached from the
14:
169:(Memel), a major sea port in the
531:Council of the League of Nations
462:
315:
1163:Treaties of the Empire of Japan
1094:Mažosios Lietuvos enciklopedija
1061:Mažosios Lietuvos enciklopedija
1032:Gerutis, Albertas, ed. (1984).
287:League of Nations Treaty Series
1168:Treaties of the United Kingdom
222:to access, use and govern the
1:
537:. That provision was used by
486:secondary or tertiary sources
405:Partisans Declaration of 1949
74:The region was detached from
242:, but Laroche preferred the
63:(Memel Territory) became an
1118:Full text of the Convention
415:Temporary Basic Law of 1990
196:Lithuanian Riflemen's Union
67:region under unconditional
1199:
1133:Treaties concluded in 1924
730:Eidintas (1999), pp. 89–90
420:Current Constitution, 1992
360:Constitution of 3 May 1791
130:
960:Pėteraitis (2003), p. 192
771:Gliožaitis (2003), p. 189
562:Constitution of Lithuania
380:Klaipėda Convention, 1924
207:Conference of Ambassadors
155:League of Nations mandate
41:Conference of Ambassadors
39:and the countries of the
1183:20th century in Klaipėda
996:Lietuvos teisės istorija
930:Andriulis (2002), p. 349
879:Andriulis (2002), p. 347
867:Andriulis (2002), p. 350
350:Henrician Articles, 1573
345:The Second Statute, 1566
301:Part of a series on the
355:The Third Statute, 1588
340:The First Statute, 1529
275:Camillo Romano Avezzana
137:The lands north of the
858:Gerutis (1984), p. 213
810:Gerutis (1984), p. 212
801:Eidintas (1999), p. 99
783:Gerutis (1984), p. 211
751:Eidintas (1999), p. 98
742:Gerutis (1984), p. 210
721:Eidintas (1999), p. 86
558:President of Lithuania
519:Lithuanian citizenship
473:relies excessively on
220:Second Polish Republic
24:
1148:Treaties of Lithuania
849:LNTS (1924) pp. 92–93
627:15 days after signing
283:Ernestas Galvanauskas
232:Ernestas Galvanauskas
22:
1034:Lithuania: 700 Years
395:Constitution of 1938
390:Constitution of 1928
385:Constitution of 1928
375:Constitution of 1922
335:Casimir's Code, 1468
328:Neminem captivabimus
163:Prussian Lithuanians
147:Treaty of Versailles
109:Klaipėda Directorate
80:Treaty of Versailles
574:
267:Robert Crewe-Milnes
201:On January 24, the
182:Free City of Danzig
119:as a result of the
29:Klaipėda Convention
981:LNTS (1924) p. 113
972:LNTS (1924) p. 109
951:LNTS (1924) p. 107
942:LNTS (1924) p. 103
921:LNTS (1924) p. 101
572:
523:German citizenship
25:
1138:1924 in Lithuania
909:LNTS (1924) p. 95
900:LNTS (1924) p. 99
888:LNTS (1924) p. 97
840:LNTS (1924) p. 89
831:LNTS (1924) p. 93
819:LNTS (1924) p. 91
792:LNTS (1924) p. 87
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661:December 15, 1931
644:December 15, 1930
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603:To Great Britain
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244:League of Nations
180:, similar to the
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84:League of Nations
82:and placed under
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539:Nazi Germany
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252:Norman Davis
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213:Negotiations
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117:Nazi Germany
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76:East Prussia
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55:) signed in
32:
28:
26:
704:Neman River
566:Directorate
139:Neman River
113:Neman River
69:sovereignty
1127:Categories
710:References
592:To France
586:gold marks
475:references
330:acts, 1430
171:Baltic Sea
127:Background
65:autonomous
684:5,907,505
681:1,000,000
667:5,907,505
664:1,000,000
650:5,886,873
647:1,000,000
633:4,725,998
614:To Italy
178:free city
37:Lithuania
1052:75-80057
494:May 2021
167:Klaipėda
988:Sources
687:113,590
670:113,590
656:16,273
653:113,180
630:800,000
294:Content
165:. Also
98:Germany
78:by the
1100:
1067:
1050:
1040:
1021:
1002:
636:90,882
608:pounds
597:francs
581:Total
260:Warsaw
256:Kaunas
186:Allies
51:, and
45:France
1085:(PDF)
57:Paris
53:Japan
49:Italy
1098:ISBN
1065:ISBN
1048:LCCN
1038:ISBN
1019:ISBN
1000:ISBN
617:(in
606:(in
595:(in
584:(in
281:and
258:and
31:(or
27:The
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