Prussia anexes Algeria and Corsica in 1871

OK: if anyone in the Prussian government has an attack of stupid this big and thanks to some miracle manages to turn such as folly into an actual proposal, Bismarck would either block it dead or reisign over it.
Let's say that the Kaiser is such an idiot that somehow he decides he really wants Corsica and manages to make his request (which includes Algeria just for the giant fuckyou value it has to France, I guess) known outside the German Cabinet. At that point, Bismarck resigns, and/or Britain makes it known that she WON'T stand for it under ANY FUCKING CIRCUMSTANCE WHATSOEVER.


Why would Britain say that?

As others have noted Prussia had no navy, so a German Algeria (or Corsica) would be less of a concern than a French one was.

As for the French, they'd agree like a shot if that was the price of keeping Alsace-Lorraine. But I agree there's no likelihood of the Germans wanting to do it.
 
Britain will surely intervene, but could France really say no with that aside?
I'm not sure Britain would intervene. In 1871 they have little reason to prefer colonies remaining in French control over Prussian. Though the Prussians wouldn't demand these territories to begin with.

Though the French navy has little to do with this. France is soundly beaten and their capital occupied, their navy isn't going to fight on by itself if a peace treaty is made.
 
As I recall France tried to pay with Prussia colonies, by way of reparations. But Bismarck refused, saying that Germany did not need colonies.
 
As I recall France tried to pay with Prussia colonies, by way of reparations. But Bismarck refused, saying that Germany did not need colonies.

Yes, but they offered Indochina, which was half a world away and not really vital to French interests. I doubt they'd give up Corsica or Algeria that freely.
 
Yes, but they offered Indochina, which was half a world away and not really vital to French interests. I doubt they'd give up Corsica or Algeria that freely.

It all depends on the consent of France. The German navy was still very weak.
 
Yes, but they offered Indochina, which was half a world away and not really vital to French interests. I doubt they'd give up Corsica or Algeria that freely.
Actualy I would say that losing Corsica would be as bad for France as losing Alsace-Lorraine, if not worse since Napoleon came from Corsica. that is besides the point that Germany wouldn't want Corsica.

Besides that Algeria would not be the first choice for Germany if they wanted a French colony. Algeria was located on the Mediterranean and thus relatively hard to reach for Germany, while easily to reach for France, if France wanted it back. If Germany wanted some French colony instead of A-L, it would go for another than Algeria.
 
I think that any German Empire interested in a colonial empire would have asked a few colonies for Alsace-Lorraine. Indochina and a valuable colony in Africa, I'm less sure about American colonies, but it could depend on whether the USA wants back up their Monroe Doctrine.

Also let's not forget it's the age of nationalism and the nationalists in the German Empire had irredentist claims on Alsace-(and part of)Lorraine (which for them were German lands). So the German Empire might not claim it, especially Bismarck had a broader view, but once it is made a part of the German Empire, it will be hard to be give back, since it will lead to internal problems in the German Empire.
 
Yes, it could. IIRC, the French Navy still outclassed the Prussian Navy at this point. From Prussia's point of view, it made more sense to solidify its control over Germany with a quick and easy victory, and maybe grab some territory to satisfy the nationalists and expansionists. Pushing hard for colonies might have alienated some of the other German states.

And if Prussia insisted on demanding more, it would be smarter to just take more of eastern France, which it would be capable of defending later, than indefensible colonies in the Mediterranean.

The French Navy is fighting around Paris - at least the Med fleet's sailors and I think artillery is, so I don't think the French Med Fleet is in any condition to do anything. I don't know what the situation with the French Northern Fleet is, but it has to be pretty drastic after the collapse of the army and country, and Prussia DOES have a fleet, let's not be over-dramatic and say they don't. They have several ironclads that would be rated as line of battle ships, and they have supporting vessels. During the war, the French blockade kept these in harbour but after the general collapse, I don't know if the French can keep up a blockade, even if the fleet remains reliable.

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
This is considerably less interesting in my opinion than the prospect of a German Indochina.

I agree, Alsace-Lorraine should be sold back for about as much as the French valued it, so that might be roughly half their colonial empire;).
 
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