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Siamese occupation of Germany

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Zone of Thai occupation in postwar Germany

[[File:Flag of the Siamese Expeditionary Force in World War I (Reverse).svg|150px]]"},"flag_border":{"wt":"no"},"era":{"wt":"First World War"},"capital":{"wt":"[[Neustadt an der Weinstraße]]{{Cite web| title=A note on the military participation of Siam in the first world war | author=Keith Hart | url=https://thesiamsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/1982/03/JSS_070_0n_Hart_MilitaryParticipationOfSiamInWW1.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713041917/https://thesiamsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/1982/03/JSS_070_0n_Hart_MilitaryParticipationOfSiamInWW1.pdf | archive-date=2020-07-13}}"},"image_map":{"wt":"Locator_map_NW_in_Rhineland-Palatinate.svg"},"title_leader":{"wt":"[[King of Siam]]"},"leader1":{"wt":"[[Vajiravudh|Vajiravudh (Rama VI)]]"},"status_text":{"wt":"Territory under [[Rattanakosin Kingdom (1782–1932)|Siamese]] [[Military Administration|military administration]] of the [[Rattanakosin Kingdom (1782–1932)|Kingdom of Siam]]"},"life_span":{"wt":"1918–1919"},"event_start":{"wt":"Establishment"},"date_start":{"wt":"15 December"},"event_end":{"wt":"French troops takeover"},"date_end":{"wt":"10 July"},"year_start":{"wt":"1918"},"year_end":{"wt":"1919"},"image_map2":{"wt":"File:Flag Map of the Occupation of the Rhineland.png"},"image_map2_caption":{"wt":"The Rhineland was occupied by the Entente powers. The Siamese enclave, surrounded by the French occupation zone, was located to the southeast."},"year_leader1":{"wt":"1918–1919"},"title_deputy":{"wt":"[[Siamese Expeditionary Forces|Commander of the Siamese Expeditionary Forces]]"},"year_deputy1":{"wt":"1918–1919"},"deputy1":{"wt":"[[Phraya Thephatsadin|Phat Thephatsadin na Ayutthaya]]"},"flag_type":{"wt":"Unit Colour of the Siamese Expeditionary Force"},"stat_pop1":{"wt":"{{Circa|20.000 people}}https://web.archive.org/web/20230522231513/https://books.google.ru/books/about/Neustadt_Sa_garnison_fran%C3%A7aise_et_le_qu.html?id=GdhGngEACAAJ"}},"i":0}}]}'>Siamese occupation of GermanyTerritory under Siamese military administration of the Kingdom of Siam1918–1919

Unit Colour of the Siamese Expeditionary Force<br>The Rhineland was occupied by the Entente powers. The Siamese enclave, surrounded by the French occupation zone, was located to the southeast.CapitalNeustadt an der Weinstraße[1]Population •<br>c. 20.000 people[2]<br>GovernmentKing of Siam • 1918–1919<br>Vajiravudh (Rama VI)<br>Commander of the Siamese Expeditionary Forces • 1918–1919<br>Phat Thephatsadin na Ayutthaya

Historical eraFirst World War• Establishment<br>15 December 1918• French troops takeover<br>10 July 1919

The Siamese occupation of Germany (German: Siamesische Besetzung Deutschlands, Thai: การยึดครองเยอรมนีของสยาม) was a small enclave within the Rhineland occupation zone of Germany in 1918–1919,[3] controlled by Siam (present-day Thailand) and entirely surrounded by the French occupation zone.[4] The occupation pursued political aims: pressuring Germany to sign the Treaty of Versailles, strengthening Siam's alliance with France, and affirming its standing among the victorious powers.

Initiated by the French command after the Armistice of Compiègne, the Siamese occupation mission was also seen by King Vajiravudh as an opportunity to consolidate the nation. During their time in Germany, Siamese soldiers stationed at Mussbach and Hochspeyer faced a harsh winter and an outbreak of Spanish flu, which caused fatalities. Despite initial difficulties and the language barrier, relationships formed between the Siamese servicemen and the local German population — relationships that were nonetheless viewed with ambivalence, including within the Siamese corps itself.

The occupation ended with Siamese units taking part in the Allied victory parades in Paris, London, and Brussels, symbolising international recognition of Siam's contribution.

Background<br>[edit]

Main article: Siam in World War I

In April 1917, when President Woodrow Wilson declared war on Germany, it was clear that US entry into World War I would probably turn the tide against the Central Powers (Austria-Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire). Waiting on the sidelines and watching, King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) pondered his options. Thailand (Siam) had maintained neutrality since the outbreak of World War I in 1914, and the country had maintained friendly relations with Germany, but the monarch understood the political value of casting his lot with the Entente forces.[3]

The King Vajiravudh believed that joining the war offered Thailand a chance to achieve equal standing with other nations. The country had already lost control of Cambodia and Laos and ceded southern provinces between 1889 and 1909 due to British...