Harsher Treaty of Frankfurt 1871

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Deleted member 1487

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Frankfurt_(1871)
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traité_de_Francfort
What if the Germans realized they could get away with a harsher peace in terms of having a larger indemnity? The French were required to pay 5 Billion Francs in reparations, but they managed to pay it off very quickly, much more quickly than the Germans thought they would be able to due to the amount of loans raised; what if the Germans had doubled the indemnity or even tripled it to cripple the French economy and keep them from rising again so quickly? What would they use that money for in Germany and what would France lack as a result?
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Frankfurt_(1871)
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traité_de_Francfort
What if the Germans realized they could get away with a harsher peace in terms of having a larger indemnity? The French were required to pay 5 Billion Francs in reparations, but they managed to pay it off very quickly, much more quickly than the Germans thought they would be able to due to the amount of loans raised; what if the Germans had doubled the indemnity or even tripled it to cripple the French economy and keep them from rising again so quickly? What would they use that money for in Germany and what would France lack as a result?
Hmm. It is difficult to say.

But if my memory serves, in Morocco, the French gave loans to the Sultan to bind himself to the French state which was the pretext to the ultimate protectorate. So I imagine adventures like that would be harder.
 
Bismarck was not looking for a way to cripple France, he was looking for a way to end the conflict which had gone for too long.

If Bismarck had got his wish list, Nappy would not have been captured at Sedan and the imperial regime would not have collapsed: there would have been a cease fire by mid September (if not earlier) and a peace treaty more lenient than OTL would have been negotiated well before Christmas.

The sudden end of the Bonapartist regime left him in a difficult situation both on the diplomatic and the economical tables (not to mention that he was forced to negotiate with a republican provisional government, and republics were a form of government he despised). Certainly he cannot occupy all of France, and cannot even keep the army mobilised forever. The more the situation was unsettled in France the more raucous and demanding became the liberals and the nationalists in the various German states and the more uncooperative were the conservatives controlling the Prussian parliament (and the imposition of additional taxation). The other danger of a protracted war was the threat of intervention by the other European powers, who would not have countenanced too harsh a peace.
 
If the Prussians try for a harsher peace, France will not surrender and will continue to fight. At this stage, attrition fighting would not be in the interest of Prussia, as Bismark already had all he wanted out of the war, and more. Continuous fighting risk the French coming to their senses, raising more troops, turning out more veterans and good officers replacing the imperial deadwood. If war continues for a year or more, it is likely the French will win. OTL, the provisionnal government signed Bismark terms because they were fearing revolution was coming and prefered to deal with Bismark than with the reds. If the prussian terms are too onerous, then the reds will look like potential allies and you get Union Sacree. If France sends an additional 3 millions troops in the fighting ( which is well within possibilities), the Prussian army is doomed, even if it maintain individual superiority.
 
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