This is a list of sovereign states in the 1920s, giving an overview of states around the world during the period between 1 January 1920 and 31 December 1929. It contains entries, arranged alphabetically, with information on the status and recognition of their sovereignty. It includes 90 widely recognized sovereign states, and entities which were de facto sovereign but which were not widely recognized by other states.
Name and capital city | Information on status and recognition of sovereignty | |
---|---|---|
A | ||
![]() Capital: Sukhumi | Recognized independent state. It was subordinate to the Georgian SSR from December 16, 1921. [lower-alpha 1] | |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Capital: Kabul
| Reign of Amanullah Khan, Inayatullah Khan, and Mohammed Nadir Shah: Widely-recognized independent state. Reign of Habibullāh Kalakāni, [4] Ali Ahmad Khan and Abd-al Karim: Not recognized by any state. | |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Capital: Tirana
| Widely-recognized independent state. De facto Italian protectorate to August 2, 1920. LON member state from December 17, 1920. | |
![]() Capital: Andorra La Vella | Widely-recognized independent state. | |
![]() Capital: Buenos Aires | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() ![]() Capital: Yerevan
| Widely-recognized independent state. Became part of the Transcaucasian SFSR from March 12, 1922. | |
![]() Capital: Sabya | Widely-recognized independent state. Vassal state of Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd from October 21, 1926. | |
![]() Capital: Abha | Widely-recognized independent state. Partitioned between Sultanate of Nejd and Idrisid Emirate of Asir from August 30, 1920. | |
![]() Capital: Aussa | Widely recognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Melbourne (to 9 May, 1927), Canberra (from 9 May, 1927) | Widely-recognized independent state after 15 November, 1926. LON founding member state from 10 January, 1920. Australia had two external territories: Australia administered two League of Nations mandates:
| |
![]() Capital: Vienna | Widely-recognized independent state. LON member state from December 15, 1920. | |
![]() ![]() ![]() Capital: Baku
| Widely-recognized independent state. Became part of the Transcaucasian SFSR from March 12, 1922. Azerbaijan had one protectorate:
| |
B | ||
![]() Capital: Brussels | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. Belgium had sovereignty over one colony and one concession:
Belgium administered one League of Nations mandate:
| |
![]() Capital: Sucre
| Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() Capital: Rio de Janeiro | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920; withdrew in June 14, 1926. Brazil was a federation of 20 states, one territory, and one federal district. [lower-alpha 2] | |
![]() Capital: Sofia | Widely-recognized independent state. LON member state from December 16, 1920. | |
C | ||
![]() ![]() Capital: Ottawa | Widely-recognized independent state after November 15, 1926. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() Capital: Santiago
| Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() ![]() | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() Capital: Bogotá | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() Capital: San José | Widely-recognized independent state. LON member state from December 16, 1920; withdrew in January 22, 1925. | |
![]() Capital: Havana | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() ![]() Capital: Prague
| Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
D | ||
![]() Capital: Danzig | Widely-recognized independent. Under League of Nations protection. | |
![]() Capital: Copenhagen | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() Capital: Santo Domingo | Widely-recognized independent state under United States military occupation to 18 September 1924. LON member state from September 28, 1924. | |
E | ||
![]() Capital: Quito
| Widely-recognized independent state. | |
![]() Capital: Cairo | Widely-recognized independent state. | |
![]() Capital: San Salvador | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() Capital: Tallinn | Widely-recognized independent state. LON member state from September 22, 1921. | |
![]() Capital: Addis Ababa | Widely-recognized independent state. LON member state from September 28, 1923. | |
F | ||
![]() Capital: Helsinki | Widely-recognized independent state. LON member state from December 16, 1920. | |
![]() Capital: Fiume | Widely-recognized independent. Annexed by Italy from February 22, 1924. | |
![]() Capital: Paris | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. France administered the foreign affairs of the following protectorates:
France administered the following League of Nations mandates:
| |
G | ||
![]() ![]() ![]() Capital: Tiflis
| Widely-recognized independent state. Georgian SSR had one autonomous republic (from July 16, 1921): Adjarian ASSR. Became part of the Transcaucasian SFSR from March 12, 1922.
| |
![]() Capital: Berlin | Widely-recognized independent state. LON member state from September 8, 1926. | |
![]() ![]() Capital: Athens
| Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() Capital: Guatemala City | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
H | ||
![]() ![]() Capital: Ha'il | Widely-recognized independent state. It was completely conquered by Saudi forces from November 2, 1921 and subsequently incorporated into the Sultanate of Nejd. | |
![]() Capital: Port-au-Prince | Widely-recognized independent state under United States occupation. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() ![]() Capital: Mecca | Widely-recognized independent state. Annexed by Sultanate of Nejd, creating the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd from January 8, 1926. | |
![]() Capital: Tegucigalpa | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() ![]() Capital: Budapest
| Widely-recognized independent state. LON member state from September 18, 1922. | |
I | ||
![]() Capital: Reykjavik | Widely-recognized independent state. | |
![]() Capital: Dublin | Widely-recognized independent state after November 15, 1926. LON member state from September 10, 1923. | |
![]() Capital: Rome | Widely-recognized independent state under fascism from 31 October 1922. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. Italy had four colonies and three concessions:
| |
J | ||
![]() Capital: Tokyo | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. Japan had sovereignty over the following dependencies and concessions:
Japan administered one League of Nations mandate: | |
L | ||
![]() ![]() Capital: Riga
| Widely-recognized independent state. LON member state from September 22, 1921. | |
![]() Capital: Monrovia | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() ![]() Capital: Vaduz | Widely-recognized independent state. | |
![]() Capital: Vilnius | Widely-recognized independent state. LON member state from September 22, 1921. | |
![]() Capital: Luxembourg City | Widely-recognized independent state. LON member state from December 16, 1920. | |
M | ||
![]() Capital: Mexico City | Widely-recognized independent state. | |
![]() Capital: Monaco City | Widely-recognized independent state. | |
![]() Capital: Temir-Khan-Shura | Widely-recognized independent state. Incorporated into the Russian SFSR as the Mountain ASSR from January 20, 1921. | |
![]() Capital: Muscat | De jure independent state. De facto a British protectorate. | |
N | ||
![]() ![]() Capital: Riyadh
| Widely-recognized independent state. Nejd annexed Hejaz, creating the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd from January 8, 1926. | |
![]() Capital: Mecca (Hejaz), Riyadh (Nejd)
| Widely-recognized independent state. Nejd and Hejaz had one protectorate:
| |
![]() Capital: Kathmandu | Widely-recognized independent state. | |
![]() Capital: Amsterdam | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. The Netherlands had sovereignty over three colonies: | |
![]() Capital: St. John's | Widely-recognized independent state after November 15, 1926. | |
![]() Capital: Wellington | Widely-recognized independent state after November 15, 1926. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. The following are territories of New Zealand:
New Zealand administered one League of Nations mandate:
| |
![]() Capital: Managua | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() Capital: Oslo | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. Norway had sovereignty over two uninhabited possessions:
| |
O | ||
![]() Capital: Constantinople | Widely-recognized independent state. Ottoman Empire had one protectorate:
| |
P | ||
![]() Capital: Panama City | Widely-recognized independent state. | |
![]() Capital: Asunción | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() ![]() Capital: Tehran
| Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() Capital: Lima | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() ![]() Capital: Warsaw | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() Capital: Lisbon
| Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. The following are colonies and possession of Portugal:
| |
R | ||
![]() Capital: Bucharest | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() Capital: Moscow | Widely-recognized independent state. Became part of the Soviet Union from December 30, 1922. Russia had three protectorates and one concession: | |
S | ||
![]() Capital: City of San Marino | Widely-recognized independent state. | |
![]() Capital: Belgrade
| Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() Capital: Bangkok | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() ![]() Capital: Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein, and Pietermaritzburg | Widely-recognized independent state after November 15, 1926. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. South Africa administered one League of Nations mandate:
| |
![]() ![]() ![]() Capital: Moscow | Widely-recognized independent state. The Soviet Union was a federation of four (later seven) republics. [lower-alpha 9] | |
![]() Capital: Madrid | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. Spain had sovereignty over the following colonies, possessions and protectorate:
| |
![]() Capital: Stockholm | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
![]() Capital: Bern | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
T | ||
![]() Capital: Lhasa | De facto independent state. Claimed by the Republic of China. | |
![]() Capital: Tiflis | Widely-recognized independent state. The Transcaucasian SFSR was a federation constituted by the Armenian SSR, the Azerbaijan SSR and the Georgian SSR. Became part of the Soviet Union from December 30, 1922. | |
![]() Capital: Ankara
| Widely-recognized independent state. | |
U | ||
![]() Capital: London
| Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. The following were colonies, concessions, and territories of the United Kingdom:
United Kingdom administered the following League of Nations mandates:
| |
![]() Capital: Washington, D.C. | Widely-recognized independent state. The following were territories of the United States of America:
| |
![]() Capital: Montevideo | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
V | ||
![]() Capital: Vatican City | Widely recognized independent state. Vatican City is administered by the Holy See. | |
![]() Capital: Caracas | Widely-recognized independent state. LON founding member state from January 10, 1920. | |
Y | ||
![]() Capital: Sana`a | Widely-recognized independent state. | |
States claiming sovereignty | ||
![]() Capital: Alash-Qala | Unrecognized state. [8] | |
![]() Capital: Kurdava | Unrecognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Tabriz | Unrecognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Goris | Unrecognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Pécs | Unrecognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Lorch | Quasi-state. Unoccupied territory within post-World War I Germany. | |
![]() Capital: Bukhara
| Soviet state. | |
![]() Capital: Minsk | Soviet state. Became part of the Soviet Union from December 30, 1922. | |
![]() Capital: Fiume | Unrecognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Vilnius | Puppet state of the Second Polish Republic. | |
![]() Capital: Novocherkassk | Unrecognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Verkhneudinsk (to October 1920), Chita (from October 1920) | Puppet state/Buffer state of Soviet Russia. | |
![]() Capital: Ternopil | Unrecognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Rasht | Unrecognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Dublin | Unrecognized state. | |
Karelia
| Unrecognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Mashhad | Unrecognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Khiva
| Soviet state. | |
![]() Capital-in-exile: Shanghai | Partially recognized Korean government-in-exile. | |
![]() Capital: Yekaterinodar | Unrecognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Sulaymaniyah | Unrecognized state. | |
Labin – Labin Republic (from March 2 to April 8, 1921) Capital: Labin | Unrecognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Oberwart | Unrecognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Florynka | Unrecognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Prizren | Unrecognized state. | |
![]() ![]() ![]() Capital: Niislel Khüree (renamed Ulaanbaatar in 1924)
| Partially recognized socialist republic. Under Soviet intervention from 1921 to 1924. Satellite state of the Soviet Union from November 26, 1924. | |
![]() Capital: Kirjasalo | Unrecognized state. | |
Raqqa – Independent State of Raqqa (from August 10, 1920 to December 17, 1921) Capital: Raqqa | Unrecognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Aachen | Unrecognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Ajdir | Unrecognized state. | |
Southern Karelia – Olonets Government of Southern Karelia (from May to December 20, 1920) | Unrecognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Damascus | De facto independent state not recognized by any other state. [9] | |
![]() ![]() Capital: Khem-Beldyr
| Partially recognized socialist republic. Satellite state of the Soviet Union. | |
![]() Capital: Uhtua | Unrecognized state. | |
![]() Capital: Kharkov | Soviet proto-state. Became part of the Soviet Union from December 30, 1922. | |
The Afghan Civil War was fought from 14 November 1928 to 13 October 1929. Rebelling, and subsequently governing Saqqawist (Saqāwīhā) forces under Habibullāh Kalakāni fought against various opposing tribes and rival monarchs in the Kingdom of Afghanistan, among whom Mohammed Nādir Khān eventually achieved a preponderant role. Despite early successes, such as the capture of Kabul and defeat of Amanullah Khan on 17 January 1929 or the capture of Kandahar on 3 June, the Saqqawists were eventually deposed by anti-Saqqawist forces led by Nadir on 13 October 1929, leading to Nadir's ascension as King of Afghanistan, who ruled until his assassination on 3 November 1933.
Inayatullah Khan, was the King of Afghanistan for three days in January 1929. He was the son of former Afghan Emir, Habibullah Khan. Inayatullah's brief reign ended with his abdication.
Habibullah Kalakani, derided by the Pashtuns as "Bacha-ye Saqao", was the ruler of Afghanistan from 17 January to 13 October 1929, as well as a leader of the Saqqawists. During the Afghan Civil War, he captured vast swathes of Afghanistan and ruled Kabul during what is known in Afghan historiography as the "Saqqawist period". He was an ethnic Tajik. No country recognized Kalakani as ruler of Afghanistan.
Faiz Muhammad Kāteb also known as Kāteb (کاتب) was a writer and historian. He was Afghan court chronicler, a skilled calligrapher and secretary to Habibullah Khan from 1901 to 1919.
Robert Duncan McChesney is a scholar of the social and cultural history of Central Asia, Iran, and Afghanistan.
The Mangal are a tribe of the Afghan or Pashtun people residing in eastern Paktia and adjacent Khost provinces of Afghanistan, and in the town of Tari Mangal, district Kurram, Pirdil Khel, Fatima Khel and Surrani of Bannu Pakistan. Their land constitutes the northeastern part of the Loya Paktia region. The Mangals descend from Karlani Pashtun lineage.
Mazar-i-Sharif Province is a defunct province of Afghanistan, which in 1964 was divided into Balkh Province and Jowzjan Province. The former province's capital was Mazar-i-Sharif.
The Southern Province was a province of Afghanistan. The former province's capital was Gardez.
Mohammad Nadir Shah was King of Afghanistan from 15 October 1929 until his assassination in November 1933. Previously, he served as Minister of War, Afghan Ambassador to France, and as a general in the Royal Afghan Army. He and his son Mohammad Zahir Shah, who succeeded him, are part of the Musahiban.
Wazirabad is a district of Kabul, Afghanistan, which like Afshar district is populated primarily by Shia-Hazara.
The Khost rebellion, also known as the 1924 Mangal uprising, the Khost revolt or the Mangal Revolt was an uprising against the Westernization and modernizing reforms of Afghanistan’s king, Amanullah Khan. The uprising was launched in Southern Province, Afghanistan, and lasted from March 1924 to January 1925. It was fought by the Mangal Pashtun tribe, later joined by the Sulaiman Khel, Ali Khel, Jaji, Jadran and Ahmadzai tribes. After causing the death of over 14,000 Afghans, the revolt was finally quelled in January 1925.
Turkestan Province was a province in Afghanistan.
Amir Ali Ahmad Khan, Shaghasi was an Afghan king from the Shaghasi family of the Barakzai tribe who was declared king of Afghanistan twice in 1929. He was first declared amir of Afghanistan by an influential cleric, Naqib Sahib on 20 January 1929, in eastern Afghanistan, but was defeated by Kalakani at Jagdalak on 19 February 1929. He was also declared as the amir of Afghanistan for the second time on 23 June 1929 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, by another highly influential Mufti Abd. Wasi Kandahari, but was defeated and captured by Kalakani on 3 July 1929.
The Saqqawists were an armed group in Afghanistan who were active from 1924 to 1931. They were led by Habibullāh Kalakāni, and in January 1929, they managed to take control of the capital of the Kingdom of Afghanistan, Kabul, re-establishing the Emirate of Afghanistan. Following military reversals in the Afghan Civil War (1928–1929), they were forced out of the capital in October 1929. Saqqawist activity ended in 1931.
The Emirate of Afghanistan was an unrecognized state ruled by the Saqqawists that existed from January to October 1929. Habibullāh Kalakāni became the state's only emir on 18 January 1929. After the fall of Kalakāni on 13 October 1929, the Emirate ended.
Amanullah loyalism was a series of early 20th century movements in the Kingdom of Afghanistan to restore Amanullah Khan as king of Afghanistan after he was deposed in January 1929 during the Afghan Civil War. Loyalists were sometimes referred to as Amanite. Loyalists tried to achieve this in various ways, including armed rebellions, political parties, colluding with foreign powers and assassinations. These movements petered out by the late 1940s. Amanullah died in exile in 1960 in Zürich, Switzerland, without ever regaining control, except a brief period of control in southern Afghanistan in the 1929 Afghan Civil War.
Throughout the history of Afghanistan, there have been many flags used by rebel groups in Afghanistan's various conflicts. This is a list of the Afghan rebel flags flown by various groups throughout the country's history.
Purdil Khan was an Afghan Saqqawist politician who served as minister of defence under Habibullāh Kalakāni during the Afghan Civil War of 1928–29, and briefly became the leader of the movement during a rebellion in July 1930.
Sayyid Husayn was an Afghan Saqqawist politician who served as Minister of Defence from January to March 1929. He was appointed by Habibullāh Kalakāni immediately following the capture of Kabul in January 1929 during the Afghan Civil War. In March 1929, he was succeeded by Purdil Khan.
The capture of the Arg on October 13, 1929 marked the end of the Tajik regime
Nadir received word of the victory in Ali Khayl and immediately set out for the capital, arriving in the city on the 15th.