The Neutralized Zone of Savoy was a zone of neutrality to the north of the

Duchy of Savoy The Duchy of Savoy (; ) was a territorial entity of the Savoyard state that existed from 1416 until 1847 and was a possession of the House of Savoy. It was created when Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, raised the County of Savoy into a duchy f ...

(corresponding more or less to the provinces of Faucigny and Chablais Savoyard, part of Genevois and Savoy proper), part of the States of Savoy or the

Kingdom of Sardinia The Kingdom of Sardinia, also referred to as the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica among other names, was a State (polity), country in Southern Europe from the late 13th until the mid-19th century, and from 1297 to 1768 for the Corsican part of ...

. It was set up under the treaties that followed the two abdications of the French Emperor

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

in 1815.

Savoy Savoy (; )  is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Vall ...

became French in 1860, and the zone was abolished in 1919. It is most of

Haute-Savoie Haute-Savoie () is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its Prefectures in France, prefecture is Annecy. To the north is Lake Gene ...

Background

In 1814, the First Empire collapsed, putting an end to French domination of the continent. The European monarchies attempted to regain their pre-French power and establish a continental balance while thwarting any new French threat. Following the Emperor's abdication and brief return during the

Hundred Days The Hundred Days ( ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition (), marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII o ...

, two treaties were signed: the Final Act of the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...

of June 9, 1815, and the Treaty of Paris of November 20, 1815. These two texts set out a special role for the territory of the Duchy of Savoy, which was about that of the

Swiss Confederation Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerlan ...

. Through the intermediary of the diplomat Pictet, the Swiss Confederation obtained international status guaranteeing the neutrality and inviolability of its territory, confirming and renewing the status obtained the year after its defeat by French troops at Marignan in 1515. However, they also specified that a portion of the duchy would be granted neutrality within its territory. Article 92 of the Final Act of the Congress of Vienna stipulated that, in the event of "open or imminent hostility, the troops of His Majesty the King of Sardinia which may be in these provinces shall withdraw, and for this purpose may pass through the Valais, if this becomes necessary; no other armed troops of any other power shall be permitted to pass through or station themselves in the provinces and territories". This article therefore stipulated that, in the event of danger, the relevant part of the duchy would be placed under Swiss protection. The Swiss projects presented by Pictet at the Congress of Vienna took into account the possible extension of neutrality to the northern part of the duchy, and the possibility of the presence of Swiss militias in these territories. Thus a proposal of February 18, 1815 stated:

The Savoyard territory situated to the north of the mountain range running from Mont Blanc to Ugine is placed under the protection of Swiss neutrality. Whenever the government of the
Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
deems it necessary on the occasion of external dangers, it is authorized to have the above-mentioned territory occupied militarily in the same way as if it were an integral part of the States of the federation. The perpetual neutrality of this territory is recognized and guaranteed as their own ..

Indeed, Switzerland needed to be able to defend its territory more easily by deploying its

army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

at strategic points such as passes and defiles, as its

border Borders are generally defined as geography, geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by polity, political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other administrative divisio ...

around

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

, located in an open country, was indefensible. Although neutrality had been proclaimed, Switzerland was not convinced that it would be respected and continued to build fortifications long afterward. The

King of Sardinia Sardinia is traditionally known to have been initially ruled by the Nuragic civilization, which was followed by Greek colonization, conquest by the Carthagians, Carthaginians, and occupied by the Ancient Rome, Romans for around a thousand years, ...

Victor Emmanuel I Victor Emmanuel I (; 24 July 1759 – 10 January 1824) was the Duke of Savoy, King of Sardinia and ruler of the Savoyard states from 4 June 1802 until his reign ended in 1821 upon abdication due to a liberal revolution. Shortly thereafter, hi ...

, also called for Swiss neutrality to extend to the northern part of the Duchy of Savoy. This zone would provide a retreat in the event of an invasion from the northern provinces (

Chablais The Chablais (; ; ) was a province of the Duchy of Savoy. Its capital was Thonon-les-Bains. The Chablais was elevated to a duchy in 1311 by Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor. This region is currently divided into three territories, the '' Chablais s ...

and

Faucigny Faucigny (; ) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Historically, Faucigny was a region in Savoy which included the area of the modern ''département'' of Haute Savoie and the ...

) to

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

, via the

Maurienne Maurienne (; ; ) is one of the provinces of Savoy, corresponding to the arrondissement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in France. It is also the original name of the capital of the province, now Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. Location The Maurienne val ...

valley. The sovereign only broached this issue when the signatories were considering increasing the cantonal territory of the city of Geneva, which could only be achieved through the cession of communes belonging to the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. For the prince of the

House of Savoy The House of Savoy (, ) is a royal house (formally a dynasty) of Franco-Italian origin that was established in 1003 in the historical region of Savoy, which was originally part of the Kingdom of Burgundy and now lies mostly within southeastern F ...

, the cession could only be envisaged on condition that the northern part of his duchy obtained the same conditions as Switzerland. Furthermore, his Minister of War Saint-Marsan was asked to add to the Swiss proposal that neutrality could be accepted if "whenever the powers neighboring Switzerland were in a state of hostilities, either commenced or imminent, the troops of the King of Sardinia in these provinces could withdraw and, if necessary, take the road to

Valais Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion, Switzer ...

for this purpose, that the troops of armies of any power could neither stay in nor pass through the above-mentioned provinces, with the exception of those which the Helvetic Confederation might deem appropriate to place there". Thus, only part of the duchy was concerned with the implementation of neutrality. Initially, article 92 of the Congress of Vienna stated that the territories of the provinces of "Chablais and Faucigny (as well as) all Savoy territory north of

Ugine Ugine (; ) is a commune in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Geography Climate Ugine has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification ''Cfb''). The average annual temperature in Ugine is . ...

" would be placed under this protection. At the time of the 1815 Treaty of Paris, which was responsible for its implementation, paragraph 2 of article 3 specified that this boundary went from "Ugine, including this town, to the south of

Lake Annecy Lake Annecy (, ) is a perialpine lake in Haute-Savoie in France. It is named after the city of Annecy, which marks the start of the Thiou, Lake Annecy's outflow river.Jean-Daniel Stanley and Thomas F. Jorstad, ''Direct Sediment Dispersal from Moun ...

, through

Faverges Faverges (; ) is a former commune located in Haute-Savoie department situated in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region (south-east of France). On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Faverges-Seythenex.Lescheraines, and from there to

Lac du Bourget Lac du Bourget (; English Lake Bourget), also locally known as Lac Gris (; ) or Lac d'Aix (), is a lake at the southernmost end of the Jura Mountains in the department of Savoie, France. It is the deepest lake located entirely within France, and ...

to the

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...

",Treaty of Peace of Paris, November 20, 1815, Article 3 - Paragraph 2 "The neutrality of

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

will be extended to the territory north of a line to be drawn from

, including this town, to the south of

, through Faverge, to Lécheraine, and from

Lake Bourget Lac du Bourget (; English Lake Bourget), also locally known as Lac Gris (; ) or Lac d'Aix (), is a lake at the southernmost end of the Jura Mountains in the department of Savoie, France. It is the deepest lake located entirely within France, and ...

to the

, in the same way as it was extended to the provinces of

and

, by article 92 of the Final Act of the

". i.e. a territory comprising the two original provinces, to which was added that of the Genevois, the northern half of the Bauges massif, the Avant-Pays, but also the Lac du Bourget region, including the town of

Aix-les-Bains Aix-les-Bains (, ; ; ), known locally and simply as Aix, is a Communes of France, commune in the southeastern French Departments of France, department of Savoie. This ensured that both Sardinian and Swiss troops would not be endangered in the event of an attack, as these regions were the most exposed. The defenses and fortifications were located in the Alps, in the Chablais for Switzerland, and the

and Tarentaise for the Sardinian kingdom, thus protecting the communication routes between Piedmont and the territories to the west of the Alps. This large zone was made possible by the stricter provisions of the 1815 Treaty of Paris, in contrast to the first version of the 1814 treaty. Initially, so as not to offend French opinion too much, the congress provided for the cession of almost all the provinces of Genevois and Savoy proper, with the towns of

Chambéry Chambéry (, , ; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Chambèri'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Savoie Departments of France, department in the southeastern ...

and

Annecy Annecy ( , ; , also ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Haute-Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, regi ...

becoming French. Napoleon's abortive return during the Hundred Days campaign led to a stricter policy towards France, which had to relinquish Savoy completely but retain its territorial integrity. However, the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia and the

were at odds over the lack of precise terms of execution. Contrary to King Victor Emmanuel I's of Sardinia's idea of de facto protection, Switzerland considered that its right to protect and intervene remained at its discretion. Switzerland, after the annexation of Savoy by France, tried to proclaim the attachment of Faucigny and Chablais to the Confederation. A major political campaign was launched, led by

James Fazy James Fazy (12 May 1794 – 6 November 1878) was a Switzerland, Swiss politician and President of the Swiss Council of States (1854). From 1846 to 1853 and from 1854 to 1861, Fazy was "conseiller d'Etat" (State councillor) in Geneva. According to ...

and the Genevan radical deputy John Perrier, to win the support of the people. But the campaign quickly failed, as its instigators met with great hostility from the local population. Some were even driven out with pitchforks and forcibly returned by boat from

Thonon-les-Bains Thonon-les-Bains (; ), often simply referred to as Thonon, is a subprefecture of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. In 2018, the commune had a population of 35,241. Thonon-les-Bains is part of a ...

to the Vaud coast.

During the First World War

Savoyards were mobilized during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, from 1914 to 1918. On August 28, 1914, the Savoy prefecture received a message from the

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

governor of the 14th region stating: "For diplomatic reasons, please postpone the organization of hospitalization of wounded soldiers in the neutralized Savoy zone", followed three days later by a new dispatch stating: "Hospitalization of wounded soldiers, including Germans, in

Aix-les-Bains Aix-les-Bains (, ; ; ), known locally and simply as Aix, is a Communes of France, commune in the southeastern French Departments of France, department of Savoie. These messages made it impossible to admit wounded soldiers to the neutralized zone. However, on September 2, the prefecture transcribed a telephone conversation with the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

, stating: "The Minister of Foreign Affairs declares most formally that we must not place in Aix-les-Bains any French wounded likely to return to the Armies. However, there does not seem to be any disadvantage in having very seriously wounded French or Germans, whose lives are in danger or who are presumed not to recover before the end of hostilities, placed in a neutral zone. Finally, on September 4, the same ministry telegraphed the prefecture: "From the point of view of the French interpretation of treaties, Aix-les-Bains should be considered as being outside the neutral zone; consequently, there is no reason not to hospitalize the wounded there. Although Aix-les-Bains was suddenly no longer part of the neutral zone,

was still well within it. As a result, the

Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...

committees of Haute-Savoy moved into the Savoy department. The Annecy, Annemasse, and

Évian Evian (, ; , stylized as evian) is a French brand that bottles mineral water from several sources near Évian-les-Bains, on the south shore of Lake Geneva. Evian is owned by Danone, a French multinational corporation. In addition to the miner ...

committees were all based in the town of Aix-les-Bains. By September 1914, the health service had 1,135 beds at its disposal in the spa town of Aix-les-Bains.

The zones affair

In 1919, France and Switzerland agreed to repeal the neutralization of Northern Savoy. The zone no longer had any raison d'être, given that France had been the ally, not the enemy, of Piedmont-Sardinia since 1859, that the same situation had prevailed during the 1914 war, and that Switzerland's right of military occupation no longer made sense once Savoy itself had become French. Abrogated by Article 435, paragraph 1 of the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919. As the most important treaty of World War I, it ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allies of World War I, Allied Powers. It was signed in the Palace ...

of June 28, 1919, the neutralized zone was definitively abolished in 1928. In exchange, Switzerland received French support for its entry into the

League of Nations The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...

, as well as the installation on its territory of the offices of this new international organization. This article also refers to the customs-free zones of Haute-Savoy and

Pays de Gex The arrondissement of Gex is an arrondissement of France in the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It approximately corresponds to the historical region of the Pays de Gex. It has 27 communes. Its population is 102,027 (2021), ...

. Later in 1932, the

Permanent Court of International Justice The Permanent Court of International Justice, often called the World Court, existed from 1922 to 1946. It was an international court attached to the League of Nations. Created in 1920 (although the idea of an international court was several cent ...

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

condemned France and called on it to re-establish the small free zone (directly linked to the conditions of annexation), in accordance with the then lapsed treaties of 1815, 1816 and 1829, i.e. 650 km², compared with 4,000 km² in the annexation treaty of 1860.

Second World War

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the prefectural administration indicated that a pro-Swiss desire was developing in the northern part of the Haute-Savoie département. In 1943, an administrative officer for the cantons of Reignier and

Annemasse Annemasse (; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Anemâsse'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Haute-Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in Eastern France. Even though it covers a relativ ...

noted: "Certainly, a plebiscite in the free zone of

and part of the Genevois Savoyard would give a strong majority in favor of joining Switzerland; the reasons are simple:

neutral country A neutral country is a sovereign state, state that is neutral towards belligerents in a specific war or holds itself as permanently neutral in all future conflicts (including avoiding entering into military alliances such as NATO, Collective Sec ...

for a long time, more flexible administration than ours, apparently healthier currency and above all the many advantages that the population of the region would find in Geneva, university town (Lyon or Grenoble are too far away ic, city of art, center of commerce and industry, etc."

Controversy

In 1995, the Ligue Savoisienne ( Savoyan League) claimed that France had failed to respect the clauses of the neutral zone by mobilizing the Savoyards during the wars of 1870 and 1914, leading to "genocide". A leaflet from the movement stated: "In 1919, France, without consulting the people of Savoy, abolished the neutralized zone and began to abolish the free zone, which became effective in 1923. No one can claim to retain the validity of a treaty whose essential clauses have been removed, without the agreement of the contracting parties concerned. Since 1919, the pact has been broken. The annexation treaty is null and void. French institutions no longer have any legitimacy on Savoy soil". However, the Savoyan League's argument is flawed insofar as the

stipulated that only Switzerland could deploy troops in the area (which it did not, as no foreign army had ever come close), but it did not prohibit Savoyards from going off to fight, either for their country or, since the annexation in 1860, for France. Furthermore, according to the Savoyan League, the neutralized zone and the large free zone established at the time of the

Annexation Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held t ...

(edition of "yes and zone" ballots in the northern part of the duchy) had been approved by a vote of the population at the same time as the reunion with France and could not, therefore, be abolished without a new popular consultation. The French authorities, on the other hand, argue that the neutralized zone was established by an international treaty and that it has been regularly abolished by another international treaty. Moreover, the argument put forward is irrelevant since the people of Savoy were not signatories to the text. As for the large free zone, known as the "grande zone" or "annexation zone", it can be considered a unilateral concession or at least a commitment by Emperor

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...

, as it was not included in the treaty ceding Savoy to France of March 24, 1860. In this treaty, reference was only made to the small free zone of 1815, which was confirmed by the judgment of the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The Savoyan League and other pro-independence movements have initiated various proceedings on the question of the zones, but so far no French or international court has taken any action.

Notes and references

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * *

External links

* {{Cite web , date=January 15, 2015 , title=Savoie , trans-title=Savoy , url=https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/fr/articles/006641/2015-01-15/ , access-date=November 29, 2024 , website=Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse , language=fr International law Neutrality (international relations) Congress of Vienna