High Commissioners As Extraordinary Government Agents
In many cases, a political vacuum created by war, occupation or other events discontinuing a country's constitutional government has been filled by those able to do so, one nation or often an alliance, installing a transitional (often minimal) governance administered by, or under supervision of, one or more High Commissioners representing it/them. For example:
- 22 November 1918 – 1919 Alsace-Lorraine, till then part of the defeated German Empire as Elsaß-Lothringen but just occupied by and restored to France, was under haut commissaire Maringer (it would be only fully reintegrated in 1925, after three Commissioners General)
- When Mussolini's Italy occupied Montenegro 17 April 1941 – 10 September 1943, it first appointed a (Nominal) Governor (17 May 1941 – 23 July 1941? Mihajlo Ivanovic), then a Civil Commissioner 29 April 1941 – 22 May 1941 Conte Serafino Mazzolini (b. 1890 – d. 1945), who next stayed on as High Commissioner (from 12 July 1941, also styled Regent at the proclamation of Nominal independence under Italian control, but exiled King Mihajlo I refuses the throne, when offered the Montenegrin crown; Prince Roman Petrovich of Russia (b. 1896 – d. 1978) also refuses to be enthroned) till 23 July 1941 followed by two Governors before the German occupation
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