What Peace terms would France have Imposed on Prussia if they won the Franco-Prussian War ?

The peace terms would depend on a number of factors. Is France acting alone, or with allies? If alone she would probably annex Luxembourg, baulk at the idea of further territorial aggrandisement (which would bring a large number of Germans into the Empire) and settle for a large war indemnity. The rise of nationalism in Europe after the Napoleonic Wars would leave France disinclined to have a larger German speaking minority, already enough in Alsace and Lorraine, and mindful of not upsetting the continents two super-powers would probably leave it at that. Should Bavaria fight on the side of Prussia then the Palatinate might just be up for grabs, a strong war party in France might demand everything between the Rhine and the Moselle rivers erecting border posts just south of Koblenz, something that the emperor might just chance his arm on. I can't see that either Great Britain or Russia would look favourably on France taking all the left bank of the Rhine up to the Netherlands. Of course, if France acts with allies then this becomes a whole different ball-game. Allied with either a disgruntled Austria following her defeat in 1866, or Austria and the south German states, the stakes become higher. Expel Prussia from the Rhine, reversing the decisions of the Conference of Vienna? Allow Austria to regain Silesia, Saxony to regain its former territories, reconstitute Hannover, there are a huge amount of possibilities. But, and this is a huge but, France would have to be wary of upsetting Great Britain and Russia, two countries that fought long and hard against Republican and Imperial France to stop Gallic hegemony in Europe.
Exactly. France will take Luxembourg for themselves and the rest will be up to his allies as I think France will need at least the cooperation of Austria for winning the war (Germany will be again in one confederation who will include also Austria and Bohemia, led by Austria and Prussia will lose everything has received at the Congress of Vienna or after plus Silesia who will go back to Austria... Saxony and Bavaria will look to take back lands and Hannover will likely reconstituted (but only if they have done something to help the result of the war) and what will remain of Rhineland and recent acquisizione of Prussia after that will became an indipendent state, member of the Confederation, under the rule of an Austrian ArchDuke (likely the Tuscan branch).
 
The peace terms would depend on a number of factors. Is France acting alone, or with allies? If alone she would probably annex Luxembourg, baulk at the idea of further territorial aggrandisement (which would bring a large number of Germans into the Empire) and settle for a large war indemnity. The rise of nationalism in Europe after the Napoleonic Wars would leave France disinclined to have a larger German speaking minority, already enough in Alsace and Lorraine, and mindful of not upsetting the continents two super-powers would probably leave it at that. Should Bavaria fight on the side of Prussia then the Palatinate might just be up for grabs, a strong war party in France might demand everything between the Rhine and the Moselle rivers erecting border posts just south of Koblenz, something that the emperor might just chance his arm on. I can't see that either Great Britain or Russia would look favourably on France taking all the left bank of the Rhine up to the Netherlands. Of course, if France acts with allies then this becomes a whole different ball-game. Allied with either a disgruntled Austria following her defeat in 1866, or Austria and the south German states, the stakes become higher. Expel Prussia from the Rhine, reversing the decisions of the Conference of Vienna? Allow Austria to regain Silesia, Saxony to regain its former territories, reconstitute Hannover, there are a huge amount of possibilities. But, and this is a huge but, France would have to be wary of upsetting Great Britain and Russia, two countries that fought long and hard against Republican and Imperial France to stop Gallic hegemony in Europe.

Basically, if Austria comes in then so, in all likelihood, does Russia. Since Russia is the stronger of the two, that makes France the net loser by the widening of the war. So if France can't win w/o allies, nor can she win with them. She wins single-handed or not at all.
 
I'm rather skeptical of the prospects of Britain and Russia just sitting idle as France dismembers one of Europe's Great Powers. There is one reason why Bismarck didn't push anything tremendous in 1866, it is also noteworthy that the Franco-Prussian War was a war of French aggression, Britain wouldn't take the prospects of France hegemony really well.
 
I'm rather skeptical of the prospects of Britain and Russia just sitting idle as France dismembers one of Europe's Great Powers. There is one reason why Bismarck didn't push anything tremendous in 1866, it is also noteworthy that the Franco-Prussian War was a war of French aggression, Britain wouldn't take the prospects of France hegemony really well.
Austria and maybe the other states of the South Germany Confederation will take lands from Prussia not France... France will ask Luxembourg and money, and the rest will be more an internal question between German states (Austria, Bohemia, eventually Bavaria and Saxony against Prussia and allies) who will put Germany back in an Austrian-led conferation who will include North and South Confederation plus Austria and Bohemia without any territorial loss in favour of France (lands taken away from Prussia will go to other german princes: Hannover will go back to its King, Bavaria and Saxony will reclaim some territories, Austria will take back Silesia and the remaining parts of Rhineland and others territorials gains Prussia had made at of after the Congress of Vienna will taken away and made in a new indipendent state for an austrian Archduke, likely the former GranDuke of Tuscany)
 
Well France and Austria could agree on turning the clock back to before the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 for starters. That would certainly be agreeable, as for Austria handing over more 'German' lands to France, I doubt they want nor could afford that.
Also Luxembourg is not as an obvious territorial transfer as one might think, since Luxembourg as the rest of the kingdom of the Netherlands, was neutral. The Saarland, since that was Prussian seem to be a more obvious choice, it doesn't totally wipe Luxembourg from the table, but still.
I agree. France will not gain Luxemburg after the Franco-Prussian war. It was not Prussia, or any other participant of the war to give. Luxemburg was an independent neutral country and both France and Prussia (and basicly the rest of Europe) had signed an agreement tp respect that neutrality only a couple of years ago. France at best might gain permission by Prussia to buy Luxemburg from the king of the Netherlands in the peace treaty, but that would propably violate the previous treaty as well.

Besides that, the Dutch parliament were very unhappy about the sale of Luxemburg, it even caused a major political upheaval in the Netherlands, the Luxemburg crisis. I doubt Dutch parliament would accept the Dutch king selling Luxemburg only a couple of years later.

So in short, France will not gain Luxemburg after the France-Prussian war.
 
Basically, if Austria comes in then so, in all likelihood, does Russia. Since Russia is the stronger of the two, that makes France the net loser by the widening of the war. So if France can't win w/o allies, nor can she win with them. She wins single-handed or not at all.

Barring the small possability of butterflies around Russia that keep her from being able to or perceived as capable of effectively being able to intervene. Of course, that would have to be something like already being involved in a major war (presumably with the UK, being the only great power in 1870 otherwise not involved), at which point you're likely seeing such a monumental shift in the diplomatic landscape that the Spainish Succession is small potatos with France, Prussia, and Austria trying to manuver through the tangle of Anglo-Russian diplomatic activity. So, no Franco-Prussian war in any meaningfully separate sense unless as a front of a WW-esque total breakdown of European peace.
 
If the Prussian defeat is total, but quick:

1 - France could take the Prussian lands that are both south of the Mosel and West of the Rhine, if they want it, but I think that Napoleon has more interest in monetary compensation.
2 - Austria could take Silesia, if they are willing to give away part of their other polish territories to Russia to preserve the balance of power (well, not really, it is more to buy the goodwill of Russia).
3 - The annexed territories of the Austro-Prussian War are going to be restored to their previous rulers.

If the Prussians still can defend themselves the peace is probably more about monetary compensations and restoration of recently annexed territories. The German Federation is going to crumble by itself if Prussia shows that they are incapable of defending Germany.
 
This can very conceivably be the seed of a world war, I think.


Nobody in 1870 is feeling under the kind of time, internal dissent, diplomatic isolation pressures and lack of faith in getting square treatment in an international mediation that had crept into so many European nations by 1914 to be willing to take the gamble of total war to the death, nor are industry and financial built up enough to sustain total mobalization for very long. If the war does expand, it's still going to be quick.
 
An independent Rhineland. Anything west of that would just be concessions to Austria to weaken Prussia.
If the main goal is to make Austria happy and all the while stick it to those upstart Prussians, you can always demand that they reinstate the Kingdom of Bavaria. Surely at that point the Bavarians wouldn't mind.....
 
If the main goal is to make Austria happy and all the while stick it to those upstart Prussians, you can always demand that they reinstate the Kingdom of Bavaria. Surely at that point the Bavarians wouldn't mind.....

Bavaria had retained its independence after 1866.

The Kingdom of Hannover, now, had not.
 
Dissolution of the North German Confederation.
Return to pre-German-Danish-War borders; Schleswig-Holstein-Lauenburg to be independent under Augustenburg duke; plebiscite in North Schleswig as per 1866 Treaty of Vienna.
 
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