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Tag: 100 Years Ago

  • NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 21 January 1923

    NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 21 January 1923

    21 JANUARY 1923

    Businesses in Essen struggled to open following the French invasion of the Ruhr Valley and the seizing of Reichsbank premises. Other banks also closed, saying that they were unable to open because they were reliant on the Reichsbank infrastructure, whilst German staff refused to work in the now French controlled bank. It was also announced by the French authorities that the Director of Postal Services in Essen had been arrested for failing to comply with French military orders.

    At the annual general meeting of the National Farmers’ Union it was complained that the population wasn’t drinking enough milk and that there should be efforts to reduce its price to make it more affordable. It was also reported that milk was being poured down drains in a bid to keep the price up and some farmers who tried to reduce their charges were met with opposition from suppliers of other services.

    Army Headquarters in Dublin announced that they had discovered a 70 foot long tunnel which was being constructed in a bid to help prisoners escape from Mountjoy Prison. Individuals arrested for their involvement with the tunnel construction included Michael Doyle, Arthur Ring, John Daly, Michael McCann, Thomas Carne and Donal O’Donnell.

  • NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 20 January 1923

    NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 20 January 1923

    20 JANUARY 1923

    Philip Lloyd-Greame, the President of the Board of Trade, spoke in London saying that it was essential that the Government should try to get a final settlement and the most out of Germany. He added that it was a misfortune that the recent reparations conference had failed to reach agreement, but at least countries differed as friends.

    Roland William Boyden, the US observer to the Treaty of Versailles, caused some concern amongst the allies after stating that the terms imposed on Germany had been demonstrated as impossible to deliver.

    French troops in the Ruhr seized a number of German coal mines and took control over several branches of the Reichsbank. The German government condemned the actions as French authorities stated that no coal would be distributed to the rest of Germany until reparations were resolved.

    Wilhelm Cuno, the Chancellor of Germany, told Federal Governments to reduce the gluttony of excessive food and alcohol being consumed by the population, many of whom he said were in distress at current events. He suggested measures including prohibiting the sale of drinks to minors, punishing drunkenness and introducing early closing hours at licensed venues.

  • NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 19 January 1923

    NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 19 January 1923

    19 JANUARY 1923

    It was announced that Stanley Baldwin, the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, would sail to the United States on 20 January 1923 to discuss the growing political issue of the British war debt owed to the US.

    A meeting of the Cockburn Association was held which raised concerns about the impact of the proposed Scottish War Memorial on the skyline of Edinburgh. It was agreed that the matter would be debated further and proposals brought forward of alternative memorials, although it was felt that the location at Edinburgh Castle was appropriate.

    The French Government said that they were taking action against six owners of coal mining operations for refusing to obey military orders. The French military had taken land over in the Ruhr Valley and made demands of the coal mine owners with the German Government saying that they were plunging the area into a state of famine and risking an uprising.

    There was a strong demand from Germany to purchase British coal, with the depreciation of the mark not being a problematic factor with relation to making payments.

  • NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 18 January 1923

    NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 18 January 1923

    18 JANUARY 1923

    The French Government said that they didn’t plan to extend their military intervention into Germany following the taking of the city of Dortmund the previous day. They said that they wanted economic reparations as had been promised in the Treaty of Versailles.

    The French, Belgian and Italian Governments issued a joint statement confirming that they were intending to benefit financially from the German state forests on the left bank of the Rhine.

    Arthur Henderson won the by-election held in Newcastle East which had been called following the death of the Labour MP Joseph Nicholas Bell. The result was:

    Labour : Arthur Henderson | 11,066 | 45.7%
    Liberal : Harry Barnes | 6,682 | 27.6%
    Conservative : Robert Gee | 6,480 | 26.7%

    The previous result at the 1922 General Election had been a Labour gain from the Liberals:

    Labour : Joseph Nicholas Bell | 10,084 | 43.1%
    Liberal : Harry Barnes | 6,999 | 30.0%
    National Liberal : Gilbert Stone | 6,273 | 26.9%

    Majority 3,085 13.1

  • NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 17 January 1923

    NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 17 January 1923

    17 JANUARY 1923

    The French military continued to advance in the Ruhr region of Germany, occupying the city of Dortmund. The attack had been ordered by the French Prime Minister Raymond Poincaré who claimed that Germany were breaching the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

    There was alarm in Berlin following the discovery of a Fascist plot in Munich and South Bavaria to launch a coup against the elected Government. There was a fear that Adolf Hitler, the leader of the fascists, was taking advantage of the German difficulties in the Ruhr and that was needed was calm to deal with the challenge from the French.

    It was reported in the press that Elizabeth Bowe-Lyons and the Duke of York were rumoured to be planning to get engaged.

    Polling was taking place in the Newcastle East by-election.

  • 1923 : Political Events

    1923 : Political Events

    We post daily with the news from 100 years ago, but here are some of the main historical events from 1923.

    1. The French occupation of the Ruhr was a response to Germany’s inability to pay war reparations after World War I. This event led to economic and political instability in Germany, including hyperinflation and the rise of extremist political groups.
    2. The Treaty of Lausanne officially ended the Ottoman Empire and marked the end of the Turkish War of Independence. The treaty led to the formation of modern-day Turkey, with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as its first president.
    3. The Irish Free State started its first full year following a long struggle for independence from Britain, with the Constitution of the Irish Free State having been agreed on 6 December 1922. The treaty also resulted in the partition of Ireland into Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State, which had been agreed in 1922.
    4. The general election of December 1923, in which the Conservative Party, under the leadership of Stanley Baldwin, won the most seats in the last election to have a third party winning 100 seats.
    5. Stanley Baldwin became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom three times between 1923 and 1937, succeeding Andrew Bonar Law on 22 May 1923. He was a member of the Conservative Party and was known for his efforts to promote national unity, his opposition to appeasement in the lead-up to World War II, and his support for the British Empire.
    6. The first successful transatlantic radio broadcast from Europe to North America took place on December 3rd, 1923. This event marked a major milestone in the development of long-distance communication technology and paved the way for the widespread use of radio in the 20th century.
    7. The Munich Putsch was a failed attempt by Hitler and the Nazi Party to seize power in Germany. Although the Putsch was unsuccessful, it marked the beginning of Hitler’s rise to power in Germany.
    8. The Mutual Agreement between Greece and Turkey was aimed at resolving tensions between the two countries in the aftermath of the Ottoman Empire. The agreement aimed to stabilise the region and prevent further conflict between the two countries, although to hundreds of thousands of refugees as part of the population exchange between the two countries.
    9. The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. was dedicated on May 30th, 1923. The memorial is a symbol of the United States’ commitment to preserving the legacy of President Abraham Lincoln and is one of the country’s most famous landmarks.
    10. Benito Mussolini and the Italian Fascist Party continued their rise to power in Italy in 1923, following a series of political and social upheavals. Mussolini’s dictatorship lasted until 1943, when he was overthrown and later executed by Italian partisans.
    11. The launch of Time Magazine, one of the most influential news magazines in the world. The magazine was first published on March 3rd, 1923, and has since become a leading source of news, analysis, and commentary on a wide range of topics, including politics, business, and popular culture.
    12. The introduction of the Marriage and Divorce (Religious Marriages) Bill, which aimed to provide greater legal recognition for religious marriages and to strengthen the rights of married women. The bill was part of a broader movement in the UK to reform family law and to promote gender equality in the early 20th century.