AHC: Independent Rhineland up to the modern day

I would say the latest PoD possible, imho, would be no 100 days, or at minimum, Napoleon crushing the Prussians and being the crushed by the Austro-Russian. Rhinelands could then be put as an independant german state. However, to keep it independent, you have to avoid German unification. The only possibility I see for this is a crushing of the 1848 upraising by conservative forces. But that would lead to Austria dominating GrossDEutschland, so you would have Rhineland a puppet state in fact even if independent in theory. A 3 way cold war between Russia, Austria and a Franco-british alliance could see Rhinelands get back their autonomy as a neutral state able to play the powers one against the other.

Not very plausible, I think, but maybe possible (and as likely as OTL luxemburg or lichtenstein, maybe)
 
The French would have liked to set up a Rhenish puppet state after each of the world wars, but as the example of the Saar protectorate showed, that probably doesn't qualify as independent.
 
The French would have liked to set up a Rhenish puppet state after each of the world wars, but as the example of the Saar protectorate showed, that probably doesn't qualify as independent.
The Rehnish Republic actually faced resistance from the French occupational government themselves, along with their general view as traitors in the eyes of the German people, made the movement pretty unlikely to take off.
 
I meant in a more general sense, actually, though I did not know that the Rhenish Republic was opposed by the French as well.
 

katchen

Banned
If Switzerland could be somehow persuaded to annex both the Rhineland and Alsace Lorraine, creating a complete buffer between France and Germany in the 19th Century, two world wars might be avoided.
 
If Switzerland could be somehow persuaded to annex both the Rhineland and Alsace Lorraine, creating a complete buffer between France and Germany in the 19th Century, two world wars might be avoided.


Apart from the minor fact that there would be more Germans than Swiss so when the nationalism or self interest dictates siding with one or the other the state will break apart almost instantly.
 

katchen

Banned
Last I heard, most Swiss DO speak German. And they learn High German in school at that. The Swiss ARE Germans. The more so prior to German Unification. There already are effectively three German states. It's just a matter of a workable border between them.
 
Less successful D-Day and the Western Allies meet the Soviets at the Rhine instead of the Elbe. West Germany is the Rhineland, East Germany everything else.
 
Last I heard, most Swiss DO speak German. And they learn High German in school at that. The Swiss ARE Germans. The more so prior to German Unification. There already are effectively three German states. It's just a matter of a workable border between them.

Try more: Before the 16th century, when the Swiss destiny diverged from Germany general.
 
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