Treaty of Les Verrières

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Painting from the border crossing in the Bourbaki panorama in Lucerne
The contract in the Swiss Federal Archives

The Treaty of Les Verrières was an agreement dated February 1, 1871 between the French divisional officer Justin Clinchant and General Hans Herzog , the commander in chief of the Swiss Army .

background

The treaty regulated the border crossing and the internment of the Armée de l'Est in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71. After the signing, over 87,000 French soldiers, who were trapped by superior German forces in the Pontarlier area, saved themselves at the border town of Les Verrières in the Neuchâtel Jura , but also via the Col des Étroits near Sainte-Croix , the Col de Jougne near Vallorbe and others the Risoux in the Vallée de Joux to neutral Switzerland. 

The day before, the Swiss Federal Council decided , since "the possibility of a massive transfer of French troops to present territory" is becoming more and more likely ", to authorize the head of the military department to" instruct the Higher War Commissariat to keep as much bread baked here as possible "and «Should the transfer not take place at all or only to a limited extent, ... to give the bread supply to the population of the area of ​​Pontarlier and Morteau, who are, according to all reports, completely exhausted and suffering from shortages, and accompanied by 1,000 quintals of flour and 500 quintals of rice, after prior agreement with the Prussian military authority, through the intermediary of the Aid Committee in Neuchâtel, to make the Maires von Pontarlier and Morteau available for distribution to those in need. "

Contract text

original

Entre Monsieur le général Herzog, général en chef de l'armée de la Confédération Suisse, et Monsieur le général de division Clinchant, général en chef de la 1 re armée française, il a été fait les conventions suivantes:

1 ° L'armée française demandant à passer sur le territoire suisse déposera ses armes, equipements et munitions en y pénétrant.

2 ° Ces armes, équipements et munitions seront restitués à la France après la paix, et après le règlement définitif des dépenses occasionnées à la Suisse par le séjour des troupes françaises.

3 ° Il en sera de même pour le material d'artillerie et ses ammunitions.

4 ° Les chevaux, arms et effets des officiers seront laissés à leur disposition.

5 ° Des dispositions ultérieures seront prises à l'égard des chevaux de troupe.

6 ° Les voitures de vivres et de bagages, après avoir déposé leur contenu, retourneront immédiatement en France avec leurs conducteurs et leurs chevaux.

7 ° Les voitures du trésor et des postes seront remises avec tout leur contenu à la Confédération Helvétique, qui en tiendra compte lors du règlement des dépenses.

8 ° L'exécution de ces dispositions aura lieu en présence d'officiers français et suisses désignés à cet effet.

9 ° La Confédération se réserve la désignation des lieux d'internement pour les officiers et pour la troupe.

10 ° Il appartient au conseil fédéral d'indiquer les prescriptions de détail destinées à compléter la présente convention.

Fait en triple expédition, aux Verrières, le 1 er février 1871

Clinchant, Hans Herzog, Général.

German translation

The following agreements have been made between General Herzog, Commander in Chief of the Army of the Swiss Confederation, and Major Clinchant, Commander in Chief of the French 1st Army:

1. The French army asks to be allowed to enter Swiss territory and will put down their weapons, equipment and ammunition upon crossing.

2. These weapons, equipment and ammunition will be returned to France after the peace and after the final settlement of the costs incurred by Switzerland through the stay of the French troops.

3. The same applies to the artillery material and its ammunition.

4. The officers' horses, weapons, and effects are left at their disposal.

5. Further provisions are made regarding troop horses.

6. The food and baggage carts will return to France with their drivers and horses immediately after they have unloaded their cargo.

7. The treasure and mail wagons are handed over with their entire load to the Swiss Confederation, which will take this into account when paying the costs.

8. The implementation of these agreements will take place in the presence of French and Swiss officers designated for this purpose.

9. The Swiss Confederation reserves the right to designate the places of internment for officers and troops.

10. It is incumbent on the Federal Council to determine the details of the implementation of this agreement.

Done in triplicate at Verrières this 1st February 1871

Clinchant, Hans Herzog, General.

literature

Footnotes

  1. Eugen Bircher : 70 years ago: On the transfer of the Bourbaki army to Switzerland, February 1 and 2, 1871. In: Allgemeine Schweizerische Militärzeitung , 1941, pp. 65–72.
  2. CONSEIL FÉDÉRAL: Procès-verbal de la séance du 01/31/1871 in the database Dodis the Diplomatic Documents of Switzerland