Yes and no. While being one of the linguistic minorities the most active with Breton and Corsican, it's at the point some reject calling it "german" and call it a separate language.
Isn't this mostly a post WW2 thing?
Yes and no. While being one of the linguistic minorities the most active with Breton and Corsican, it's at the point some reject calling it "german" and call it a separate language.
From what I read it started during the revolution when most german states become enemy.Isn't this mostly a post WW2 thing?
Isn't this mostly a post WW2 thing?
I think that a possible side effect of this "Greater France" would be a relative impoverishment of southern France to a larger degree than was the case OTL. The few coal seams of southern France will pale in comparison to what will be available in Belgium/Rhineland. So we could very well see even less industry developping there compared to OTL.
The demographic trend was already lowering in the XVIII, more for social reasons than economical. The actual demographic growth of Rhineland and Belgium could actually be lower than OTL and more following french tendencies.Would more industrialisation lead to more population growth? Hard to say but it is quite possible since northern regions were more dynamic demography wise.
I cannot tell, does France have Nice and Savoy in this picture?
Yes, as well Tende and La Brigue for some unknown reasons while it wasn't annexated before 1947.
Hrm. I don't suppose those additions will have much of an impact on the industrialization/population discussion going on?
Most likely (unfortunately), in Belgium Flemish/Dutch had no legal status for 75 years and it took a full century to get secondary/higher education in Dutch, and that was with a slight Flemish majority*, in a France where they're outnumbered 1/10... I do think that Flemish will survive better than Alsatian f.e., being a heavily populated area.I don't think that "assimilating" the Flemings and Rhinelanders will be that much of a problem to be honest, since the centre of gravity of this alternate France will be decisively in the territory of what is today Belgium once the industrial revolution kicks in.
I would even go as far a saying that modern French itself might even gain a lot of Flemish and German words and expressions as a result of the ownership of these territories. This could especially be the case with regards to industry related words and expressions, OTL we already had Houille coming from the Walloon Hoye.
Not sure, on the Belgian side of the border, Mouscron already is physically fused to Tourcoing, and there's a ~12 km gap between the build-up areas of Tournai & Lille. Lille will of course have half of West-Flanders & Hainaut as additional hinterland, but that doesn't necessarily mean a population increase on the same scale.The lack of a border between France and Belgium might mean that the Greater Lille area could develop into a "French Manchester", potentially reaching into the 2 or 3 millions inhabitants eventually come the 20th century.
Paris would therefore have an economic rival, with interesting consequences.
I think that the numbers would make the difference. The French republic depicted here has what, 8 million Germans in a continuous settlement area? They'll be far more able to keep their ethnic identity and keep their language in everyday life, IMHO (there are, for example, several German universities). Add to that the fact that the Sarre and Cologne will be industrializing rapidly, providing the funds for local/regional politicians and schemes.
To keep them away from Germany, you'd need to prevent German unification. Without a foreign power trying to lure them away they'll get used to France. If France additionally offers more local autonomy (which IMHO would be beneficial for France, but anyway), there's no real reason for these territories to form an independent state or join one of those tiny German statelets - not to speak of Prussia.