14th September 1940 Waffenstillstands Kommission
Cover bearing the Briefstempel of the Waffenstillstands Kommission based in Wiesbaden. Note: The correspondence has been sent from the 'Hotel 4 Jahreszeiten'. Ref: 14.09.1940
Waffenstillstands Kommission
(Armistice Commission)
The German Armistice Commission (WAKO) was a political administrative body based in Wiesbaden that existed from 1940 to 1944, with a branch office in Paris, the former French Task Force of the Supreme Commander West. Its function was to carry out the task arising from the Franco-German armistice of 25th June 1940, to supervise compliance with the armistice conditions imposed on France, particularly in military terms.
After the German Reich and France had been at war with each other since 3rd September 1939 in the early phase of the Second World War, the German armed forces defeated France in the course of the Western Campaign. On 22nd June 1940, the governments of both countries concluded an armistice agreement, which came into force on 25th June 1940.
As a direct result of this treaty, the German Armistice Commission (WAKO) was set up in Wiesbaden and began its work on 30th June 1940. It reported directly to Adolf Hitler. The chief of staff was assigned to the commission, and all groups except the Marine Group were later placed under his command. A French delegation, the Délégation Française auprès de la Commission Allemande d'Armistice (DFCAA), acted as a link to this commission to convey German instructions to the French government, which was responsible for their practical implementation. At the same time, the DFCAA passed on the Vichy government's wishes and suggestions to the German commission. The work of the WAKO was supported by the control inspections in Bourges, which consisted of inspections of the army, the air force and armaments. There was also an Africa control inspection in North Africa (Casablanca).
In addition, there was a German Armistice Commission for Economic Affairs under the envoy Johannes Hemmen.
The German Armistice Commission existed as a large-scale authority for almost four years.
The commission's quarters were in the hotels Vier Jahreszeiten and Nassauer Hof in Wiesbaden, while the French were accommodated in the Hotel Rose.
Source: Wikipedia
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