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Hello! This is a reboot of Shepherding Wolves, a TL I began a few months back and never finished. I decided to reboot it due to bad writing and other issues, which included a lack of a place to take it. I've thought further ahead and realized where to take it, but in order to do so, I must restart it. The original idea of the TL was taken when I learned that the French colony of Cocoinchina was almost given to Germany after the Franco-Prussian War, and that Bismarck never really wanted to annex Alsace-Lorraine. That is still the premise of this - I just now know the direction I want to push the TL into. And without further ado, here is the first chapter. I hope you all enjoy.

Chapter I: The Treaty of Frankfurt {1871 - 1871}

The Dilemma:
"If we choose to annex Alsace and Lorraine, we set ourselves up for disaster. We play right into the hands of those devilish Frenchmen - the German people become the enemies of Europe, an aggressive and brutish nation. We give the French an excuse to plunge us into war again. Believe me when I tell you, your majesty, the war has done what it was supposed to do. The German people are united in a single nation under yourself. What I, what we have worked so hard for has finally been accomplished! Why risk something that could tear us apart? Why set up the Reich for what could only lead to our failure? If the French war machine strikes again, who is to say they will not defeat us? And if this war machine is fueled by a choice that we ourselves have made, who will stand on Berlin's side in our darkest hour?"

That was the short speech that Chancellor Otto von Bismarck gave to the Kaiser as the Reichstag of the German Empire debated on how to punish France for the starting a war that they could not finish. It had Bismarck's dramatic flair to it, definitely, but the man had a point. However, he wasn't positive that it was the best choice. Most of the princes of the Reichstag sought to strip France of the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine in order to create a buffer for the southern states and to include the German people within them in the Empire. Bismarck argued that they hadn't beaten France decisively enough to strip away a part of their mainland. Perhaps he was right; they had almost forced a surrender when they had kidnapped the French Emperor, Napoleon III, but he had managed to escape and rally the people to arms in Paris. A three day standoff outside the city had bled both sides white, and so in the end the French surrendered. And although the Germans had technically won the war, the Chancellor was not sure that they would've beaten the French had the white flag not been raised. The princes of the states, specifically the southern states, didn't see that though. They saw a victory, and they wanted the spoils. Bismarck knew their simple catholic minds would not allow them to see the consequences of their actions, though. It didn't matter anyways; as the days went on, Bismarck continued to bring the Kaiser more and more into his sway. What he didn't know was what exactly to ask of the French - however, a proposal from the French Emperor would soon give him the answers.

The Proposal:
The moment the French Ambassador entered the meeting hall, with his humble attitude and his head held low, Bismarck knew that he was attempting to swindle the Reichstag. And he was doing a good job of it; most of the princes bought what he was selling. Indeed, when the Ambassador placed the entirety of the war blame on the "fragile ego of the French people", the Chancellor realized he was playing the council like a fiddle. He did not call out the Ambassador for the game he was playing, however, as their goals did not lie too far apart. The Ambassador had come with a message from the Emperor Napoleon III himself, who wanted Alsace-Lorraine free of the German troops that currently occupied it. The French Empire would cede their territories in south Indochina, their protectorate over the Kingdom of Cambodia, and their treaty ports along the Vietnamese coast to the German Empire. Along with that, they would pay an extra 50% in reparations to the German people, totaling a hefty 7.5 million francs. Bismarck was intrigued by the offer and saw it as a way to both appease the land hungry members of the Reichstag as well as placating the faction that wanted to stay away from any lasting French-German hostilities. Taking a small colonial sphere of influence was hardly as punishing as annexing part of a countries mainland. And to put the cherry on the pie, it would allow the German state to kickstart a colonial empire of their own, which would heavily validate their status as a great power and add a huge boost to German prestige. Testing the waters, he sent the Ambassador back to the Emperor with another counter proposal - without the Kaiser's knowledge. Instead of the extra reparations, the French Navy would hand over a large forty percent of their fleet to the Kaiser in order to safeguard their colonial interests. For days, offers and counter-offers were made until a 35% percentage of the French Navy was decided on. Satisfied with the results, he brought the offer to Wilhelm, and managed to convince him to accept it. On the third of June, 1871, the Treaty of Frankfurt was signed by both Kaiser Wilhelm and Emperor Napoleon III. The terms of this treaty were:

  • Return of Alsace-Lorraine to the French.
  • Recognition of the German majority in the Alsace, and special rights for them.
  • The original war reparations, an amount of five billion francs.
  • Thirty-five percent of the French Navy handed over to the German Empire.
  • The transfer of the colony of Cocoinchina to the German Empire.
  • The transfer of the protectorate of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the German Empire.
In the end, what really mattered was that Alsace and Lorraine were still in French hands, and the German colonial empire had begun.
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