Elsaß without Lothringen?

Ive seen a few comments that claimed the Franco-German animosity in the pre-WWI era would have been less if they had just taken Alsace, and not Lorraine.

What do you think? Would this even be possibble? And even if the Germans were to annexe just Alsace, would it make any difference later on at all?
 

Susano

Banned
In a way it would have made more sense - Irredentism for Alsace had been longstanding among German nationalists, and had some ethnic justification. However, IMO, it wouldnt have changed anything. French revanchism didnt give a damn about ethnic realities in the area (and in a way, neither did Germany, as was shown by the Empire treating A-L more or less like a colony). The point of it that those were two provinces (in truth of course, one and parts of another), cruely taken away from Mother France! It really was revanchism in the most base sense, a desire to avenge a defeat. I dont think less severe peace conditions would have made any difference at all, and most certainly Germany just annexing Alsace would have made no impact.

At least IMO.
 
They only took a narrow slice of Lothringen with the majority being bilingual in a German dialect as well as French. There were problem areas like Metz which was French majority, but really it didn't matter. It was all about French Pride and the humiliation dished out during the Franco-Prussian War.

The border that is historical was reasonably fair and far more defensible than just Elass.
 
Top