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What made Alsace-Lorraine so important to France, that it created within their nation such a strong hatred for Germany?

So, how can Germany be united in 1848 by the Frankfurt Parliament, and what would be the effects on Europe? What would other nations think of a united Germany? Would the resulting German state include Austrian lands, or no?

With a PoD as early as the start of the Taiping rebellion, balkanize China into as many states as possible. The more, the better.

When German nationalism surfaced in the 19th century, why is it that several Germanic peoples (EG the Dutch) were excluded? What might have changed German nationalism to include other Germanic peoples outside of the HRE?

In times of rapid colonial acquisitions by multiple countries, would it be theoretically possible for a nation to gain colonial territory with absolutely no access to the ocean whatsoever? Perhaps with access to a large river, but no direct sea access?

Suppose a Scramble for Africa is postponed until the 1890s-1900s. What kind of African states would arise in this time gap to resist (or even oppose) European occupation/colonization? How would they avoid colonization? Might any of them be able to modernize?

Your challenge is to have the American Civil War happen start with the secession of the North rather than the south. The war diesnt necessarily have to start in the 1860s, but late PoDs are preferred. So how can it be done?

So, why didn't France and/or the UK mediate in the ACW? Was it because they were afraid to get on the US's bad side? Was it just too clear that the war would be a US victory? Or is there another reason?

Like it says in the title-what if the Expedition of the Thousand had failed, and the Kingdom of the two Sicilies remained? How would it affect Italian unification, and the rest of Europe?

What if, instead of having the Open Door Policy developed, the US simply had a sphere of influence to itself in China? How might it gain such a SoI? And how would this affect China, and international dealings there?

Your challenge is, with a PoD after the ACW, to have the Deep South remain almost an entirely agricultural economy with little to no industrialization into the 1900s. Bonus points if it can result in tension resurfacing between the Southern and Northern states due to differences in economy.

Suppose that, sometime in the 1860s, long after the deaths of his two other male children, Pedro II's wife gives birth to yet another male son. This son manages to live into adulthood. What are the immediate effects on Pedro's rule, and what are the long-term effects on Brazil and the world?

Like it says in the title-how could Russia have gained a port on the Indian Ocean, and what would the implications be?

So, how viable are rams as a ship's weapon in the era of steam propulsion? By the way, I'm not asking a comparison between them and guns/torpedoes/other naval weapons; I just want to know whether rams worked at all. It seems unlikely that any ship could ram another of equal or greater size...

Your challenge is, with a PoD between 1850 and 1900, is to allow for the Korean peninsula to experience a major population growth and lots of agricultural development akin to Meiji Japan. Bonus points if the population of the peninsula is equal to or greater than the population of Japan. So...

Ok, so, here's a scenario where Germany and France go to war in 1870, just as IOTL. However, let's pretend that Austria, eager to avenge Koniggratz, joins in on the the French side. The Germans are unable to fight a two-front war, and the Franco-Austrian alliance prevails. Now, I have several...

So, your challenge is to divide up Anatolia. Not so much a Balkanization, but just a minor break-up. At the bare minimum, it must be controlled by two states, but additional nations are more than welcome. Also, any PoD is acceptable, but I personally would prefer one after 1850 (just to...

IOTL, Napoleon III seriously considered having France intervene on the side of the Confederacy in the American Civil War. However, one of the main reasons he didn't was because the British didn't want to. My question is: why did he need Britain's "green light" to intervene? It's unlikely...

So, your challenge is to have Reconstruction not only fail its goals, but also cause a second rebellion or some kind of civil unrest in the South; this could be the result of protests, racial tensions/unrest, or an abortive attempt at Erving the CSA/slavery. Bonus points if it lasts several...

Your challenge, should you accept it, is to balkanize the United States with a PoD after 1800. At least 4 states should result. Endless bonus points if it can be done after the ACW. Get to it!