Europe 247
World War I. Memel consisted mostly of Germans; the surrounding areas were Lithu-
anian. The Allied powers were considering whether to grant the port to Lithuania,
which had no port, or to Poland, which hoped Memel would have similar standing as
Danzig.
A French administrator, 200 French troops, and the local police administered the
area from 1920. On January 11, 1923, Lithuanian troops dressed in civilian clothing
invaded the area, forced the French to leave, and gained control by January 15. They
continued to occupy the territory until February 16, when the Conference of Ambassa-
dors recognized Lithuanian sovereignty in Memel through an agreement that granted
autonomy to the region and port authority to the International Harbor Board. On May
8, 1924, the Four Powers (United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Japan) and Lithuania
signed the Memel Statute.
Coding changes: End Date changed from January 15, 1923.
220 France/380 Sweden
MID#1660
Started in February 1917. See the narrative in the 200 United Kingdom/380 Sweden
dyad dispute list.
225 Switzerland/255 Germany
MID#149
Dispute Number: 149
Date(s): November 18, 1856 to May 26, 1857
Participants: 255 Germany/225 Switzerland
Outcome (and Settlement): Compromise (Negotiated)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Prior to this dispute, Prussia had tried to completely separate Neuchatel
from Switzerland and further incorporate the territory under the sphere of Prussian
influence. Other states in Europe, such as Great Britain, were unwilling to allow Prus-
sia to formally administer Neuchatel, though they recognized Prussia’s claim to the
region following the Congress of Vienna in 1815.
The Neuchatel Crisis of 1856–1857 followed an unsuccessful coup attempt by
Prussian loyalists on the night of September 23, 1856. The Prussian king urged an
unwilling Swiss federal executive to release the royalists but had no success. The
Swiss, assured of English support, then mobilized for war. Prussia, still wishing for
complete control over Neuchatel, considered war now that it was past its revolution-
ary problems of 1848. However, England was unreservedly on the Swiss side and was
joined by the French, and any attempt by Prussia to enter Neuchatel would require the
compliance of the Austrian-influenced German states. With French assistance, Prussia
relented to a diplomatic resolution. The treaty involved required the release of all the