Comment: On the 28th of June 1919 German delegation signed a peace treaty of Versailles which ended the First World War. Articles 96 and 97 of Section IX of the treaty concerned organizing a plebiscite in a Kwidzyn district which encompassed counties of Sztum, Susz as well as parts of counties of Malbork (east off the Nogat) and Kwidzyn (east of the Vistula). According to the treaty German troops were to leave the area in 15 days after ratification of the treaty. It was also decided that Inter-Allies Committee For Government And Administration was going to established. Its task was to organize free, fair and secret voting. A right to vote was given to people who turned 20 and had been born in the plebiscite area or were living there.

On the 4th of November 1919 a make-up of the Inter-Allies Committee was chosen. As its president in a Kwidzyn district an Italian - Angelo Pavia was appointed. Different committees were chaired by Henry Beaumont of the Great Britain (Department of Communication), Rene de Cherisey of France (Department of Finances) and Morikazu Ida of Japan (Department of Justice). The committees were equipped with full executive and little legislative powers. German local administration have remained in the area.

Already on the 13th of October 1919 at a Paris peace conference it was decided that all plebiscite areas were going to be guarded by contingents of allied forces, most which were to come from a state represented by a chairman of the Inter-Allies Committee. The government of that state was given a right to appoint a commander of occupational forces. On the 17th of Ferbruary 1920 Kwidzyn was entered by a contingent of Italian army under command of colonel Po as well as a French platoon.

In districts of Kwidzyn and Olsztyn the plebiscite was held on the 11th of July 1920. Its result was very unfavorable for Poland. In area of a former Kwidzyn district border between Poland and Germany was demarcated 20 kilometers from the Vistula, except for an area opposite to Gniew, which encompassed villages: Nowe Lignowy, Kramowo, Borsztych, Janowo and Mala Polka as well as a port in Korzeniewo, a train station in Gardeia and a bridgehead on the Vistula by Opalenie. The Inter-Allies Committee also granted Germans a right to use a Vistula port in Korzeniewo.

At a moment of announcing the plebiscite's results activity of Control Committees was ceased and the plebiscite area became a part of Prussian State. (Monika Panter)

Location: State Archive in Gdansk, Collection of Pomeranian plans and maps; cat. no. APG 1126/413.