Treaty of Paris (1815) - Convention On The Military Line

Convention On The Military Line

The convention on the military line regulated all matters concerning the temporary occupation of the frontiers of France by a Coalition army of 150,000 men, conforming to Article 5 of the definitive treaty. The military line to be occupied, would extend along the frontiers which separated the departments of the Pas de Calais, of the North of the Ardennes, of the Meuse, of the Moselle, of the Lower Rhine, and of the Upper Rhine, from the interior of France.

It was also agreed that neither the Coalition nor the French troops would occupy (unless for particular reasons and by mutual agreement), the following territories and districts:

• In the Department of the Somme, all the country north of that river, from Ham, to where it falls into the sea;
• In the Department of Aisne, the districts of Saint-Quentin, Vervins and Laon;
• In the Department of the Marne, those of Rheims, Saint-Menehould, and Vitry;
• In the Department of the Upper Marne, those of Saint-Dizier and Joinville;
• In the Department of the Meurthe, those of Toul, Dieuze, Sarrebourg and Blamont;
• In the Department of the Vosges, those of Saint-Diez, Bruyères and Remiremont;
• The District of Lure, in the Department of the Upper Saône; and that of Saint-Hippolyte in the Department of the Doubs.

Within the line occupied by the Coalition army, 26 fortresses were allowed to have garrisons, but without any materiel or equipment of artillery and engineer stores, as follows:

France was to supply all the wants of the 150,000 allied troops who remained in the country. Lodging, fuel, light, provisions, and forage were to be furnished in kind, to an extent not exceeding 200,000 daily rations for men, and 50,000 daily rations for horses; and for pay, equipment, clothing, &c.

France was to pay to the allies 50 millions francs per annum during the five-year occupation: the allies, however, were content with only 30 million, on account, for the first year. The territories and fortresses definitively ceded by France, as well as the fortresses to be provisionally occupied by the Coalition troops for five years, were to be given up to them within ten days from the signature of the principal treaty, and all the Coalition forces, except 150,000 which were to remain, were to evacuate France within 21 days from that date.

The direct expense entailed upon France by this convention greatly exceed the amount of the indemnity of 700 million. Estimating the value of the soldier's portion and allowances at 1½ francs, and the cavalry ration at 2 francs, the annual cost of the deliveries in kind for 200,000 portions and 50,000 rations would have been 146 million in francs, which, with the addition of 50 million franc of money per annum, formed a total of 196 million francs per annum, equal to 22,370 sterling per day at the exchange rate of the time.