First Alexander Frick cabinet

First Alexander Frick cabinet
Government of Liechtenstein
Date formed	3 September 1945 (1945-09-03)
Date dissolved	8 March 1951 (1951-03-08)
People and organisations
Head of state	Franz Joseph II
Head of government	Alexander Frick
Deputy head of government	Ferdinand Nigg
Total no. of members	5
Member parties	FBP VU
History
Election(s)	1949
Predecessor	Fourth Hoop cabinet
Successor	Second Alexander Frick cabinet

The first Alexander Frick cabinet was the governing body of Liechtenstein from 3 September 1945 to 8 March 1951. It was appointed by Franz Joseph II and chaired by Alexander Frick.

History

Josef Hoop resigned as Prime Minister of Liechtenstein on 3 September 1945 and as a result the Fourth Hoop cabinet was dissolved. ^{[1] [2]} He was succeeded by Alexander Frick. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Upon taking office in 1945, the cabinet was faced with the challenge of dealing with the members of the First Russian National Army that had taken refuge in the country a few months prior. ^[5] They were cared for by the Liechtenstein Red Cross. On 16 August 1945, the Soviet Union sent a delegation to Liechtenstein in an attempt to repatriate the Russians, which was refused despite increasing Soviet pressure to participate in the repatriation program. ^[6] Eventually the government of Argentina offered the Russians asylum, and about a hundred people left. ^[7] Liechtenstein was the only country that did not participate in the Soviet repatriation program. ^[6]

According to Frick, with the support of Franz Joseph II, the Russians were at no point in danger of being extradited and the general population of Liechtenstein supported the government in providing asylum to them. ^[6]

In 1949, the government oversaw Liechtenstein ceding the Ellhorn mountain to Switzerland as a result of Swiss demands and threats to, among other things, cease end the customs union between the two countries. Despite the local community in Balzers previously refusing to do so in November 1948, the transfer was approved by the Landtag of Liechtenstein the following month. In exchange to the transfer, Switzerland agreed to forgive much of Liechtenstein's debt that it had acquired to the country throughout World War II. ^[8]

The cabinet was continued following the 1949 Liechtenstein general election. It was dissolved on 8 March 1951 and succeeded by the Second Alexander Frick cabinet. ^[1]

Members

	Picture	Name	Term	Party
Prime Minister
		Alexander Frick	3 September 1945 – 8 March 1951	Progressive Citizens' Party
Deputy Prime Minister
		Ferdinand Nigg	3 September 1945 – 8 March 1951	Patriotic Union
Government councillors
		Franz Xaver Hope	3 September 1945 – 8 March 1951	Progressive Citizens' Party
		Alois Wille	3 September 1945 – 8 April 1949	Patriotic Union
		Marzell Heidegger	8 April 1949 – 8 March 1951	Patriotic Union

See also

• Politics of Liechtenstein

References

1. Paul Vogt (1987). 125 Jahre Landtag. Vaduz: Landtag of the Principality of Liechtenstein.
2. "Liechtenstein Gets New Chief". The New York Times . 4 September 1945. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
3. "Mitglieder der Regierung des Fürstentums Liechtenstein 1862–2021". www.regierung.li. Archived from the original on 2023-07-28. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
4. "Liechtenstein gets a new boss". Stars and Stripes Newspaper Southern France. Nice. 6 September 1945. p. 4. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
5. Monday (13 April 1953). "Last of the Wehrmacht". Time. Archived from the original on 22 December 2008. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
6. Tolstoy, Nikolai (1977). The Secret Betrayal. Charles Scribner's Sons. ISBN   0-684-15635-0.
7. Wanger, Harald (31 December 2011). "Liechtenstein, Franz Josef II". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). Retrieved 15 June 2023.
8. Büchel, Donat (31 December 2011). "Ellhorn". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). Retrieved 19 March 2024.