Historical and Art Medals

Besetzung des Maingaues [Occupation of the Main Province], 1920, cast bronze, French soldier with whip sat astride building, rev. heads of six citizens of Frankfurt being reigned in by a whip, sack of money at left, 58mm (K 261). Good very fine (£60-80)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Karl Goetz Medals.

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Following a communist outbreak in the industrial Ruhr valley, Germany moved the Reichswehr into the DMZ, in contravention of the Treaty of Versailles. In retaliation French troops occupied Frankfurt and Darmstadt, taking six prominent citizens of the former city hostage. On 17 May 1920 the Germans capitulated and withdrew troops from the DMZ