Meanwhile, other elements of the Iraqi problem now take precedence, notably the export of oil, in which all permanent council members have an immediate interest.
We have been here before. After World War I, the Allied powers dictated strict disarmament and monitoring obligations to Germany in the Versailles Treaty of 1919. An international organization called the Inter-Allied Control Commission was created to implement those provisions. Inspectors were sent to Germany to verify compliance with weapons, manufacturing and manpower limitations. They endeavored to obtain accurate declarations from Germany of postwar inventories and supervise required destruction activities.
The German military and, in particular, the elite officer corps, dealt with the Control Commission. Masterminded by the clever and driven Gen. Hans Von Seeekt, the inspectors' efforts were frustrated through deception and concealment systems, to preserve prohibited weapons and production. The Germans conducted weapons development abroad and illegally sustained a trained officer and troop base to rapidly expand its army once Allied attention waned.
The German government argued that the inspectors were too demanding and acted as spies. They pleaded that the requirements to demobilize contributed to unemployment and caused the suffering of innocent civilians. They argued that the destruction of many weapons factories was unnecessarily severe, since they could produce civilian products. The German Army created "army peace commissions," nominally instructed to help the work of the Control Commission, but, in fact, set up to provide surveillance of the inspectors and warn of upcoming inspections. UNSCOM experienced all the above.
As Germany resisted disarmament inspections, disputes among the Allies grew over German compliance and the need for enforcement. German obstruction was countered forcefully--once with an Allied ultimatum, in May 1921, which threatened occupation of the Ruhr if Germany did not provide improved cooperation. Temporarily, Germany improved.
But disputes continued among the Allies, with France assuming the more forceful position. Paris argued that enforcement was necessary and even sought to occupy key cities unilaterally. Britain was more anxious for a political solution, to be free of the problem so it could focus on other issues.
