WI: France accepts Francophone Belgium in exchange of Alsace-Lorraine in 1940

Considering that Germany would have follow a different strategy in 1940 and opted for not invading the whole France, occupying only Alsace-Lorraine and then forcing France into negotiations under the threat of a full scale invasion:

Would there have been any chance of France accepting the loss of A-L in exchange of the Francophone Belgium (with Flanders, Lux and Netherlands going to Germany) in an eventual negotiation of peace (please, consider that France would be highly pressed in this case)?
 
Considering that Germany would have follow a different strategy in 1940 and opted for not invading the whole France, occupying only Alsace-Lorraine and then forcing France into negotiations under the threat of a full scale invasion:

Would there have been any chance of France accepting the loss of A-L in exchange of the Francophone Belgium (with Flanders, Lux and Netherlands going to Germany) in an eventual negotiation of peace (please, consider that France would be highly pressed in this case)?
Good luck grinding through the fortified sectors of the Maginot Line and crossing the Rhine.
Germany invading through Belgium was not a bug of the line, it was the main feature.
 

GarethC

Donor
Germany needs to go big or go home, as the saying goes.

Only invading A-L is not sufficient to press France to the negotiating table. The level of defeat necessary is such that the rest of the country can reasonably be conquered as well.

If France is not overrun, then the Anglo-French war machine just keeps churning out planes and tanks and whatnot, win the war in the next two years - cf. A Blunted Sickle.
 

Archibald

Banned
HMMM... no. First, France respects Belgium independance and there is no way they accept a chunk of the country- even more if violently carved out by Nazis.
Plus as mentionned above, the Maginot Line was build at horrible cost to expressedly repeal a Gerlman attack from their border, hence through Alsace Lorraine. Say what you want of the Maginot line place in history, but the damn thing was formidable. France had lost 1.5 million men to regain Alsace Lorraine, hence the Maginot Line was an insurance about another German invasion from there.
 
HMMM... no. First, France respects Belgium independance and there is no way they accept a chunk of the country- even more if violently carved out by Nazis.
Plus as mentionned above, the Maginot Line was build at horrible cost to expressedly repeal a Gerlman attack from their border, hence through Alsace Lorraine. Say what you want of the Maginot line place in history, but the damn thing was formidable. France had lost 1.5 million men to regain Alsace Lorraine, hence the Maginot Line was an insurance about another German invasion from there.

This and frankly Alsace-Lorraine was just too important emotionally and symbolically by that point. To take Alsace-Lorraine back from France you need to smash through french lines and take Paris like the germans did OTL. Nothing short of that would do.
 
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CaliGuy

Banned
Considering that Germany would have follow a different strategy in 1940 and opted for not invading the whole France, occupying only Alsace-Lorraine and then forcing France into negotiations under the threat of a full scale invasion:

Would there have been any chance of France accepting the loss of A-L in exchange of the Francophone Belgium (with Flanders, Lux and Netherlands going to Germany) in an eventual negotiation of peace (please, consider that France would be highly pressed in this case)?
Not happening; after all, such a move would be suicidal seeing how it would require an assault on the Maginot Line.

However, if you want your scenario to come to fruition, you could have a victorious Nazi Germany offer Wallonia to Vichy France in exchange for the loss of Alsace-Lorraine (and perhaps iron ore-rich Briey and Longwy as well).
 
Not happening; after all, such a move would be suicidal seeing how it would require an assault on the Maginot Line.

However, if you want your scenario to come to fruition, you could have a victorious Nazi Germany offer Wallonia to Vichy France in exchange for the loss of Alsace-Lorraine (and perhaps iron ore-rich Briey and Longwy as well).

doubt Germany would be so generous, they had officially "annexed" Alsace and declared a large section of NE France a "forbidden zone." also part of NW France was administered with Belgium, IDK if that was indicating intentions or just leverage?

possible if Vichy regime had expanded collaboration and the German "settlers" did not materialize they could gain control of Francophone areas but with large occupied zone similar to Saar under British-French control after WWI?
 
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