In 1920, according to the Treaty of Versailles, the German area north of the Memel river was given the status of "Territoire de Memel" under the administration of the Council of Ambassadors, and French troops were sent for protection. During the period of French administration, the idea of an independent State of Memelland grew in popularity among local inhabitants. The organisation "Deutsch-Litauischer Heimatbund" (German-Lithuanian homeland federation) promoted the idea of a "Freistaat Memelland", which later should return to Germany. It had 30,000 members, both ethnic Germans and Lithuanians, about 21% of the total population.