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Ruhr occupation
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A French soldier in uniform points a rifle with bayonet at an elderly German civilian in a coat and hat, while another soldier stands in the background on a city street in Essen. French and Belgian soldiers in heavy coats and helmets stand and walk with horses on a cobblestone city street in the Ruhr area during the 1923 occupation.
Quick Facts
Date:
1923 - 1925
Location:
Germany
Ruhr
Participants:
Belgium
France
Germany
Context:
Dawes Plan
World War I
Key People:
Wilhelm Cuno
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Ruhr occupation

European history
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History

Ruhr occupation, (1923–25) occupation of the industrial Ruhr River valley region in Germany by French and Belgian troops. The action was provoked by German deficiencies in the coal and coke deliveries to France required by the reparations agreement after World War I. French occupation of Düsseldorf, Duisburg, and Ruhrort in 1921 was followed by French-Belgian occupation of the entire region in 1923. Passive resistance by German workers paralyzed the Ruhr’s economy and precipitated the collapse of the German currency. The dispute was settled by the Dawes Plan, and the occupation ended in 1925.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Maren Goldberg.