Let's say that Bismarck comes to the conclusion that France has to be removed from the Rhine, but that directly annexing that territorry to Germany would be bad.
So in the peace treaty, France is forced to relinquish Alsace-Lorraine, which will constitute an sovereign and independent Grand Duchy under a constitutional ruler of the catholic denomination. Analogous to the Treaty of Londion 1839 concerning Belgium, this A-L will be perpetually neutral. The signatory powers are entitled to guard that neutrality in the event of invasion by another power. It is understood that the Grand Duchy will recieve a rather liberal constitution modeled after the Belgian one. Furthermore, the GD will be free to enter into alliance with Germany concerning trade, travel, tariffs, the navigation on the Rhine and similar issues.
The inhabitants have one year to decide if they want to remain French citizens and move to France or stay and become subjects of the Grand Duchy.
The shortlist of acceptable candidates for the grand ducal position is:
~ Grand Duke Ferdinand of Habsburg-Lorraine (b.1835), the deposed ruler of Tuscany
~ Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (b.1835) from the Southern German cadet branch of the Prussian royals
~ Prince Philippe of Belgium, Count of Flanders (b.1837), the brother of the Belgian king
Regardless who might become the new Grand Duke - what will the consequences be now that a cordon of neutral states runs from the North Sea via Belgium, Luxemburg, Alsace-Lorraine and Switzerland to the Alps?
(Yes, I am fully aware that the Belgian neutrality was broken in the end, but that in itself had major repercussions like the guaranteed British entry into WWI. So even if A-L will not be neutral forever, its existence will have significant effects.)
So in the peace treaty, France is forced to relinquish Alsace-Lorraine, which will constitute an sovereign and independent Grand Duchy under a constitutional ruler of the catholic denomination. Analogous to the Treaty of Londion 1839 concerning Belgium, this A-L will be perpetually neutral. The signatory powers are entitled to guard that neutrality in the event of invasion by another power. It is understood that the Grand Duchy will recieve a rather liberal constitution modeled after the Belgian one. Furthermore, the GD will be free to enter into alliance with Germany concerning trade, travel, tariffs, the navigation on the Rhine and similar issues.
The inhabitants have one year to decide if they want to remain French citizens and move to France or stay and become subjects of the Grand Duchy.
The shortlist of acceptable candidates for the grand ducal position is:
~ Grand Duke Ferdinand of Habsburg-Lorraine (b.1835), the deposed ruler of Tuscany
~ Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (b.1835) from the Southern German cadet branch of the Prussian royals
~ Prince Philippe of Belgium, Count of Flanders (b.1837), the brother of the Belgian king
Regardless who might become the new Grand Duke - what will the consequences be now that a cordon of neutral states runs from the North Sea via Belgium, Luxemburg, Alsace-Lorraine and Switzerland to the Alps?
(Yes, I am fully aware that the Belgian neutrality was broken in the end, but that in itself had major repercussions like the guaranteed British entry into WWI. So even if A-L will not be neutral forever, its existence will have significant effects.)