A government in exile (abbreviated as GiE) is a political group that claims to be a
country or
semi-sovereign state
A sovereign state or sovereign country, is a political entity represented by one central government that has supreme legitimate authority over territory. International law defines sovereign states as having a permanent population, defined terri ...
's legitimate
government, but is unable to exercise legal power and instead resides in a foreign country. Governments in
exile usually plan to one day return to their native country and regain formal power. A government in exile differs from a
rump state
A rump state is the remnant of a once much larger state, left with a reduced territory in the wake of secession, annexation, occupation, decolonization, or a successful coup d'état or revolution on part of its former territory. In the last case ...
in the sense that a rump state controls at least part of its former territory. For example, during
World War I, nearly all of
Belgium was
occupied by
Germany, but Belgium and its allies held on to
a small slice in the country's west. A government in exile, in contrast, has lost all its territory. However, in practice the difference might be minor; in the above example, the
Belgian government at Sainte-Adresse
The De Broqueville government in Sainte-Adresse refers to two successive Belgian governments, led by Charles de Broqueville, which served as governments in exile during the German occupation of Belgium in World War I. They were based in Le ...
was located in French territory and acted as a government in exile for most practical purposes.
The governments in exile tend to occur during wartime occupation or in the aftermath of a
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policie ...
,
revolution, or
military coup
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
. For example, during German expansion and advance in
World War II, some European governments sought refuge in the
United Kingdom, rather than face destruction at the hands of
Nazi Germany. On the other hand, the
Provisional Government of Free India
The Provisional Government of Free India (''Ārzī Hukūmat-e-Āzād Hind'') or, more simply, ''Azad Hind'', was an Indian provisional government established in Japanese occupied Singapore during World War II. It was created in October 1943 ...
proclaimed by
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose sought to use support from the invading
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
to gain control of the country from what it viewed as
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
occupiers, and in the final year of WWII, after Nazi Germany was driven out of France, it maintained the remnants of the Nazi-sympathizing
Vichy government
Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...
as a French government in exile at the
Sigmaringen enclave
The Sigmaringen enclave was the exiled remnant of France's Nazi-sympathizing Vichy government which fled to Germany during the Liberation of France near the end of World War II in order to avoid capture by the advancing Allied forces. ...
.
A government in exile may also form from widespread belief in the illegitimacy of a ruling government. Due to the outbreak of the
Syrian Civil War in 2011, for instance, the
was formed by groups whose members sought to end the rule of the ruling
Ba'ath Party
The Arab Socialist Baʿath Party ( ar, حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي ' ) was a political party founded in Syria by Mishel ʿAflaq, Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Bītār, and associates of Zaki al-ʾArsūzī. The party espoused B ...
.
The governments in exile may have
little or no recognition from other states. The effectiveness of a government in exile depends primarily on the amount of support it receives, either from foreign governments or from the population of its own country. Some exiled governments come to develop into a formidable force, posing a serious challenge to the incumbent
regime of the country, while others are maintained chiefly as a symbolic gesture.
The phenomenon of a government in exile predates the formal utilization of the term. In periods of
monarchical government, exiled monarchs or dynasties sometimes set up exile courts, as the
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart, originally spelt Stewart, was a royal house of Scotland, England, Ireland and later Great Britain. The family name comes from the office of High Steward of Scotland, which had been held by the family progenitor Walter ...
did when driven from their throne by
Oliver Cromwell and again at the
Glorious Revolution (see ). The
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spanis ...
would be another example because it continued to be recognized by other countries at the time as the legitimate government of France after it was overthrown by the populace during the
French Revolution. This continued to last through the rule of
Napoleon Bonaparte and the
Napoleonic Wars from 1803–04 to 1815. With the spread of
constitutional monarchy, monarchical governments which were exiled started to include a
prime minister, such as the
Dutch government during World War II headed by
Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy
Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (born Pieter Gerbrandij; 13 April 1885 – 7 September 1961) was a Dutch politician and jurist who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 3 September 1940 until 25 June 1945. He oversaw the government-in-exile ...
.
Activities
International law
International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...
recognizes that governments in exile may undertake many types of actions in the conduct of their daily affairs. These actions include:
* becoming a party to a bilateral or international
treaty
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal pers ...
* amending or revising its own
constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When these princi ...
* maintaining
military forces
* retaining, or newly obtaining,
diplomatic recognition from other states
* issuing
identity cards
An identity document (also called ID or colloquially as papers) is any document that may be used to prove a person's identity. If issued in a small, standard credit card size form, it is usually called an identity card (IC, ID card, citizen ca ...
* allowing the formation of new
political parties
* holding
elections
In cases where a host country holds a large
expatriate population from a government in exile's home country, or an
ethnic population from that country, the government in exile might come to exercise some administrative functions within such a population. For example, the WWII
Provisional Government of Free India
The Provisional Government of Free India (''Ārzī Hukūmat-e-Āzād Hind'') or, more simply, ''Azad Hind'', was an Indian provisional government established in Japanese occupied Singapore during World War II. It was created in October 1943 ...
had such authority among the
ethnically Indian population of
British Malaya
The term "British Malaya" (; ms, Tanah Melayu British) loosely describes a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Singapore that were brought under British hegemony or control between the late 18th and the mid-20th century. Un ...
, with the consent of the then
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
military authorities.
Current governments in exile
Current governments regarded by some as a "government-in-exile"
These governments once controlled all or most of their claimed territory, but continue to control a smaller part of it while also continuing to claim legitimate authority of the entire territory they once fully controlled.
Deposed governments of current states
These governments in exile were founded by
deposed governments or rulers who continue to claim legitimate authority of the state they once controlled.
Deposed governments of former states
These governments in exile were founded by
deposed governments or rulers who continue to claim legitimate authority of the state they once controlled but whose state no longer exists.
Deposed governments of subnational territories
These governments in exile claim legitimacy of autonomous territories of another state and have been founded by deposed governments or rulers, who do not claim
independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the st ...
as a separate state.
Alternative governments of current states
These governments have been founded in exile by
political organisation
A political organization is any organization that involves itself in the political process, including political parties, non-governmental organizations, and special interest advocacy groups. Political organizations are those engaged in politic ...
s and
opposition parties, aspire to become actual governing authorities or claim to be legal successors to previously deposed governments, and have been founded as alternatives to incumbent governments.
Alternative separatist governments of current subnational territories
These governments have been founded in exile by political organisations, opposition parties, and separatist movements, and desire to become the governing authorities of their territories as independent states, or claim to be the successor to previously deposed governments, and have been founded as alternatives to incumbent governments.
Exiled governments of non-self-governing or occupied territories
These governments in exile are governments of
non-self-governing or occupied territories. They claim legitimate authority over a territory they once controlled, or claim legitimacy of a
post-decolonization authority. The claim may stem from an exiled group's election as a legitimate government.
The
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...
recognizes the
right of self-determination
The right of a people to self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international law (commonly regarded as a ''jus cogens'' rule), binding, as such, on the United Nations as authoritative interpretation of the Charter's norms. It stat ...
for the population of these territories, including the possibility of establishing independent sovereign states.
From the
Palestinian Declaration of Independence
The Palestinian Declaration of Independence formally established the State of Palestine, and was written by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish and proclaimed by Yasser Arafat on 15 November 1988 (5 Rabiʽ al-Thani 1409) in Algiers, Algeria. It had ...
in 1988 in exile in
Algiers
Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques d ...
by the
Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO; ar, منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية, ') is a Palestinian nationalist political and militant organization founded in 1964 with the initial purpose of establishing Arab unity and st ...
, it has effectively functioned as the government in exile of the
Palestinian State
Palestine ( ar, فلسطين, Filasṭīn), officially the State of Palestine ( ar, دولة فلسطين, Dawlat Filasṭīn, label=none), is a state located in Western Asia. Officially governed by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PL ...
. In 1994, however the PLO established the
Palestinian National Authority interim
territorial administration as result of the
Oslo Accords signed by the PLO, Israel, the United States, and
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eight ...
. Between 1994 and 2013, the PNA functioned as an autonomy, thus while the government was seated in the
West Bank it was not sovereign. In 2013, Palestine was upgraded to a non-member state status in the UN. All of the above founded an ambiguous situation, in which there are two distinct entities: The Palestinian Authority, exercising a severely limited amount of control on the ground and the State of Palestine, recognized by the United Nations and by numerous countries as a sovereign and independent state, but not able to exercise such sovereignty on the ground. Both are headed by the same person—, President
Mahmoud Abbas—but are judicially distinct.
Past governments in exile
World War II
Many countries established a government in exile after loss of
sovereignty in connection with
World War II.
Governments in London
A large number of European governments-in-exile were set up in
London.
Other exiled leaders in Britain in this time included
King Zog of Albania
Zog I ( sq, Naltmadhnija e tij Zogu I, Mbreti i Shqiptarëve, ; 8 October 18959 April 1961), born Ahmed Muhtar bey Zogolli, taking the name Ahmet Zogu in 1922, was the leader of Albania from 1922 to 1939. At age 27, he first served as Albania's y ...
and
Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.
Occupied
Denmark did not establish a government in exile, although there was an Association of Free Danes established in
London. The government remained in Denmark and functioned with relative independence until August 1943 when it was dissolved, placing Denmark under full German occupation. Meanwhile,
Iceland,
Greenland and the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic archipelago, island group and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark.
They are located north-northwest of Scotlan ...
were occupied by
the Allies
Alliance, Allies is a term referring to individuals, groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose.
Allies may also refer to:
* Allies of World War I
* Allies of World War II
* F ...
and effectively separated from the Danish crown. (See
British occupation of the Faroe Islands
The British occupation of the Faroe Islands during World War II, also known as Operation Valentine, was implemented immediately following the German invasion of Denmark and Norway. It was a small component of the roles of Nordic countries in W ...
,
Iceland during World War II
At the beginning of World War II, Iceland was a sovereign kingdom in personal union with Denmark, with King Christian X as head of state. Iceland officially remained neutral throughout World War II. However, the British invaded Iceland on 10 ...
, and
History of Greenland during World War II
The fall of Denmark in April 1940 left the Danish colony of Greenland an unoccupied territory of an occupied nation, under the possibility of seizure by the United Kingdom, United States or Canada. To forestall this, the United States acted to g ...
.)
Governments-in-exile in Asia
The
Philippine Commonwealth (invaded 9 December 1941) established a
government in exile
A government in exile (abbreviated as GiE) is a political group that claims to be a country or semi-sovereign state's legitimate government, but is unable to exercise legal power and instead resides in a foreign country. Governments in exile u ...
, initially located in Australia and later in the United States. Earlier, in 1897, the
Hong Kong Junta was established as a government in exile by the Philippine revolutionary
Republic of Biak-na-Bato
Republic of Biak-na-Bato is a designation referring to the second revolutionary republican government led by Emilio Aguinaldo during the Philippine Revolution, That government referred to itself as Republic of the Philippines ( es, República d ...
.
While formed long before World War II, the
Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea continued in exile in China until the end of the war.
At the
fall of Java, and the surrender by the Dutch on behalf of Allied forces on 8 March 1942, many Dutch-Indies officials (including
Dr van Mook and
Dr Charles van der Plas) managed to flee to
Australia in March 1942, and on 23 December 1943, the Royal Government (Dutch) decreed an official Netherlands East Indies Government-in-exile, with Dr van Mook as Acting Governor General, on Australian soil until Dutch rule was restored in the Indies.
[Lockwood, R. (1975). ''Black Armada and the Struggle for Indonesian Independence, 1942–49''. Australasian Book Society Ltd., Sydney, Australia. ]
Axis-aligned governments in exile
In the later stages of
World War II, with the German Army increasingly pushed back and expelled from various countries, Axis-aligned groups from some countries set up "governments-in-exile" under the auspices of the Axis powers, in the remaining Axis territory - even though internationally recognized governments were in place in their home countries. The main purpose of these was to recruit and organize military units composed of their nationals in the host country.
Persian Gulf War
Following the
Ba'athist Iraq
Ba'athist Iraq, formally the Iraqi Republic until 6 January 1992 and the Republic of Iraq thereafter, covers the national history of Iraq between 1968 and 2003 under the rule of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. This period began with high econ ...
i
invasion and
occupation
Occupation commonly refers to:
*Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment
*Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces
*Military occupation, th ...
of
Kuwait, during the
Persian Gulf War, on 2 August 1990,
Sheikh
Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...
Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (29 June 1926 – 15 January 2006) ( ar, الشيخ جابر الأحمد الجابر الصباح, translit=ash-Shaykh Jābir al-ʾAḥmad al-Jābir aṣ-Ṣabāḥ) was Emir of Kuwait and Commander of the Kuwait ...
and senior members of his government fled to
Saudi Arabia, where they set up a
government-in-exile in
Ta'if
Taif ( ar, , translit=aṭ-Ṭāʾif, lit=The circulated or encircled, ) is a city and governorate in the Makkan Region of Saudi Arabia. Located at an elevation of in the slopes of the Hijaz Mountains, which themselves are part of the Sarat M ...
.
The Kuwaiti government in exile was far more affluent than most other such governments, having full disposal of the very considerable Kuwaiti assets in western banks—of which it made use to conduct a massive
propaganda campaign denouncing the Ba'athist Iraqi occupation and mobilizing public opinion in the Western world in favor of war with
Ba'athist Iraq
Ba'athist Iraq, formally the Iraqi Republic until 6 January 1992 and the Republic of Iraq thereafter, covers the national history of Iraq between 1968 and 2003 under the rule of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. This period began with high econ ...
. In March 1991, following the defeat of Ba'athist Iraq at the hands of coalition forces in the
Persian Gulf War, the Sheikh and his government were able to return to Kuwait.
Municipal councils in exile
Following the
Turkish Invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and the displacement of many
Greek Cypriots from
North Cyprus
Northern Cyprus ( tr, Kuzey Kıbrıs), officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC; tr, Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti, ''KKTC''), is a ''de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. Recog ...
, displaced inhabitants of several towns set up what are in effect municipal councils in exile, headed by mayors in exile. The idea is the same as with a national government in exile – to assert a continuation of legitimate rule, even though having no control of the ground, and working towards restoration of such control. Meetings of the exiled
Municipal Council of Lapithos took place in the homes of its members until the Exile Municipality was offered temporary offices at 37 Ammochostou Street, Nicosia. The current Exile Mayor of the town is Athos Eleftheriou. The same premises are shared with the Exile Municipal Council of
Kythrea
Kythrea ( el, Κυθρέα or ; tr, Değirmenlik) is a small town in Cyprus, 10 km northeast of Nicosia. Kythrea is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus.
History
Kythrea is situated near the ancient Greek city-kingdom of C ...
.
Also in the
Famagusta District
Famagusta District ( gr, Επαρχία Αμμοχώστου, Eparchia Ammochostu; tr, Mağusa kazası) is one of the six districts of Cyprus. Its main town is the island's most important port, Famagusta.
History
Most of the district has bee ...
of Cyprus, the administration of the part retained by the
Republic of Cyprus considers itself as a "District administration in exile", since the district's capital
Famagusta had been under Turkish control since 1974.
Fictional governments in exile
Works of
alternate history
Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, altern ...
as well as
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel univers ...
al depictions of the future sometimes include fictional governments in exile.
* In
Len Deighton's ''
SS-GB
''SS-GB'' is an alternative history novel by Len Deighton, set in a United Kingdom conquered and occupied by Germany during the Second World War. The novel's title refers to the branch of the Nazi SS that controls Britain. It was first publi ...
'', the UK is defeated in
World War II and occupied by
Germany. A British government in exile is formed, but finds it far from easy to secure international recognition. Specifically, Deighton refers to this government in exile needing to go to the
US courts and wage a prolonged struggle against the London-based German-collaborating government, before securing possession of the
British Embassy in Washington.
* In ''
If Israel Lost the War'' by
Robert Littell, Richard Z. Chesnoff and
Edward Klein,
Israel is defeated in the 1967
Six-Day War and its territory occupied by Arab armies. Thereupon,
David Ben-Gurion and
Golda Meir set up an Israeli government in exile in North America.
*
Algis Budrys' ''
The Falling Torch'' is set in a future time when
Earth was conquered and occupied by
extra-terrestrial humanoid invaders. Many years later, the Earth government in exile, located at a human colony planet orbiting
Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri ( Latinized from α Centauri and often abbreviated Alpha Cen or α Cen) is a triple star system in the constellation of Centaurus. It consists of 3 stars: Alpha Centauri A (officially Rigil Kentaurus), Alpha Centauri ...
, is holding a regular meeting in an atmosphere of dejection and futility – its hosts being indifferent to Earth's plight and unwilling to offer any real help. The exile prime minister is shown more involved with his successful career as the chef of a luxury hotel than with the seemingly non-existent hope of liberating Earth. This depiction might have drawn on the writer's actual experience as a member of the
exile Lithuanian community in the 1950s US, at the time seeing little hope of shaking the Soviet hold of its homeland.
See also
*
Exclusive mandate
*
Exilarch
*
Transfer of the Portuguese court to Brazil
*
Provisional government
*
Shadow cabinet
*
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
Lists
*
Lists of active separatist movements
Presented below is a list of lists of active separatist movements:
*List of active separatist movements in Africa
*List of active separatist movements in Asia
* List of active separatist movements in Europe
*List of active separatist movements ...
*
List of historical separatist movements
This is a list of historical separatist movements around the world. Separatism includes autonomism and secessionism. Most separatist movements do not succeed in their goal, therefore only notable ones are listed here; however, not all listed her ...
*
List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies
*
List of territorial disputes
*
List of states with limited recognition
*
United Nations list of non-self-governing territories
References
Further reading
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Government In Exile
Exile organizations