| Abstract:
| The Allies understood in 1920 that the German government did not respect the military clauses of the Versailles treaty. The Interallied Military Control Commission reports showed regular evidence that the Reichswehr strength was far above the 100 000 men prescribed, the German government was tardy in handing in the weapons to be destroyed by the Commission, and the civil population was not yet disarmed.
At the Spa Conference, the Allies demanded the strict application of the peace treaty. A certain number of clauses were quickly fulfilled, but on the eve of January 1st 1921 deadline, the Commission noted many shortcomings. The French Minister of War, Andre Lefevre, overestimating the German danger, preferred resigning on December 16th 1920: being in favor of a two-year conscription, he was forced to propose a law reducing that period to 18 months, mainly for financial reasons.
As a matter of fact, the German Army did not represent a danger for French security, even if the 100 000 Reichswehr forces were mainly commissioned and non-commissioned officers, and even if Bavaria refused to dissolve the Einwohnerwehren. Consequently, in March 1921, this disregard for the Spa protocol led the Allies to occupy Ruhrhort, Dusseldorf and Duisburg.
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