Klaipėda Region

Origins

The Treaty of Versailles separated the land north of the Neman, including the port of Memel (Klaipėda), from Germany, placing it under the Allies in 1920 with a French administration. In January 1923 Lithuanian irregulars staged the Klaipėda Revolt, and the Allies accepted Lithuanian sovereignty.

Rule and society

Under the Klaipėda Convention of 1924, the region was an autonomous part of the Republic of Lithuania, with its own parliament and directorate. Most inhabitants were German-speaking or bilingual Lietuvininkai, and conflicts between German parties and the Lithuanian governor were constant. The port was Lithuania's only outlet to the sea.

Decline and legacy

Nazi groups grew strong in the 1930s. In March 1939 Germany issued an ultimatum, and Lithuania ceded the region, which was annexed to the Reich on 23 March 1939. After the Second World War it became part of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, and its German population fled or was expelled.