alternatehistory.com

After Napoleon's capture at Sedan and the surrender of Metz, the Government of National Defense took power in Paris, and the war became a national struggle. The people of France rose up, fighting as partisans behind German lines, and strongly opposed any surrender or concession to the Germans. As it happened, the Government of National Defense tapped out when heavy guns started shelling the city itself.

What would have happened if the siege of Paris continued longer (with the Government going full fuhrer-in-the-bunker, possibly, or Gambetta declares himself president in the provinces), and the war became an Exterminationskrieg as von Moltke intended, aiming to end the French-German rivalry once and for all?

Some key questions:
1. Does anyone intervene on France's side?
2. How long can the Germans keep the war going?
3. How long can the provincial armies keep fighting in an organized fashion, and will it be long enough to keep the Germans from taking all their strategic resources and destroying all France's infrastructure?
Top