the (Grand) Duchy of Alsace-Lorraine

Now let's discuss a region that's been discussed so, so, so many times prior, but not (from what I've seen) in this way. Alsace-Lorraine as a full state of the German Empire.

so in my most successful Thread. NoMommsen said the following:
"So,
all of what I've written IMO shows a clear direction towards assimilation of Alsac-Lorrain into the german empire/realm, if there would not have been a wolrd war (as stated by the OP of this thread)."


and:
"Alsac-Lorrain was on the best way to become a member state of the german empire in the same sense as Hessia, Badenia, Württembergia, maybe even as important as Saxony and/or Bavaria."

And this got me thinking about how that would be and look like.

As the title mentions, we are to be under the assumption that in order to fully join the German empire. Alsace-Lorraine needs to have a monarchial government of some sort. (so long as it's not absolute or elective) With this in mind, we need a monarch, a title and when this takes place.

As you also can see from the title, I've pretty much decided between two "ranks" the monarch will have, however, I'm not so sure whether I want a Grand Duchy (Großherzogtum) or a simple duchy (Herzogtum). but I know it's gonna be either one, as anything above Grand Duke and anything below Principality is out the question. (cuz in the G.E there were only five "ranks" Kingdom (Königreich), Grand Duchy, Duchy, Principality (Fürstentum) and Free City (Freie Stadt).

So what I wonder about the most is. Who becomes the first (Grand) Duke?

I can't tell for certain how they become monarch, whether the Alsatians elect someone or the Prussians choose someone for them, IDK. I also have no clue if (tho I assume they could) they'd be allowed to choose a non-Prussian. If, and I believe they could choose for themselves, I've found one candidate. Frederick Charles of Hesse, the very same guy who was elected to be king of Finland. ITTL he's the only one I could think of ATM. (if you can find other candidates, be my guest)

And if you couldn't have figured it out already this all takes place in a NO WWI world, which means every other problem emerging as a result of that is included as well. (plz don't derail too far away from here tho)
 
Have Franz Ferdinand's heirs, ineligible for the Austrian and Hungarian thrones, reign there.
 
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Is there any reason why Alsace-Lorraine can't just be annexed by Prussia?
Wutterburg, Baden and Bavaria cry fault, all those nations wanted pieces of eltass lothringe for themselves too, the imperial territory was the 'bismarckian compromise' in that regard...IIRC a few historian here told me Wilhelm II was planning to make Eltass Lothringen a Duchy for Franz Fernindand Childrens as they have not royal rights because their parent morganic marriage but that never happened
 

NoMommsen

Donor
Is there any reason why Alsace-Lorraine can't just be annexed by Prussia?
  1. It was an ... aquisition by victory NOT of Prussia but of the UNITED german states. So ... not a single state of this unuion had a 'right' to lay claim on these lands.
  2. The Hohenzollern as the ruling prussian and after the foundation of the 'Reich' (which was a confederation) had as a dynasty no claims on these lands.
  3. Bismarck was a too able a politician to commit such blatant affront against the other german states.
 
Perhaps split it in two, with Lorraine going to the ex-GD of Nassau (and father of the future GD of Luxemburg) and Alsace to the former Elector of Hesse-Kassel. That would be a way of healing old wounds from the 1866 war. Iirc the Hanoverian Royal Family were still sulking and refusing to swear loyalty to the Hohenzollerns, so couldn't be considered.
 

TruthfulPanda

Gone Fishin'
A-L merits at least Grossherzogtum status by size.
And its units - numbered in the Prussian (federal) sequence of course - get the "grossherzoglish elssassiches-lothringisches" or "g.e-l" honorific next to the name. There would be an E-L Army Korps district, mirroring the Badenian situation.
As A-L is too small to merit the military autonomy given to Wuertemberg I wonder of the Grand Duke would have any formal say over officer appointments (which the King of Wurtemberg had to some degree, the Saxon one more, and Bavarian a lot). Part of the time he'd have some say through private contacts, of course.
I believe that had A-L been set up as a separate polity in 1871 - or added to Baden and the whole lot made into a single Kingdom - come 1914 it would be very "German", German in the sense of "British" imposed over English, Scotts, etc.
 
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