WI: Germany sells Alasce-Lorraine?

So what if he does recognise that potential?
That'd still be on par, from the French point of view, with trading East Anglia for Australia. It's giving up a perfectly legitimate core of your country for some iffy colonies on the far side of the world-- when has any empire given up its home territories in exchange for a spit of land oceans away?
 
That'd still be on par, from the French point of view, with trading East Anglia for Australia. It's giving up a perfectly legitimate core of your country for some iffy colonies on the far side of the world-- when has any empire given up its home territories in exchange for a spit of land oceans away?

Interesting fact: Elsass-Lothringen was counted as a german colony ( including ruled from the same ministry as African colonies ) until, IIRC, 1911 ( and even then the parliamentaries were not immediately seated, again, IIRC, not to mention the Zabern/Saverne incident showed the truth of that ).
 
So what if he does recognise that potential?

In my opinion there was no potential. All colonies left in the middle 19th century were basicly useless, costing more money than it was worth. Colonies only gave a bit of prestige. Bismark was very wise not wanting any colonies.
 
Interesting fact: Elsass-Lothringen was counted as a german colony ( including ruled from the same ministry as African colonies ) until, IIRC, 1911 ( and even then the parliamentaries were not immediately seated, again, IIRC, not to mention the Zabern/Saverne incident showed the truth of that ).


That´s not quite true.
While A-L did not have the same state status as the rest of the empire they were represented in the parliament. Further it was decided that A-L should be governed form Berlin until such a time they were "properly germanised".

Another idea could be in 1871 the military went a bit overboard and the whole of Lorraine was annexed. Years later Germany gives it back, sells it or whatever.
 
That´s not quite true.
While A-L did not have the same state status as the rest of the empire they were represented in the parliament. .

At first they were not, ( as I said, administrated by the same ministry as Kameroun )

then, they were represented but the representative had no right of vote. ( and I think the first representatives were designated, not elected ).

Only after 1911, IIRC ( or was it 1907 ), were the representative of Elsass-Lothringen fully equal to the representatives of other landers. However, even then, I seem to remember that some administrative problem prevented them getting a full seat for some time.

And the 1913 Zabern incident showed even this to be a sham.

If you're interested, I'll look into my sources to give details and dates this evening.
 
then, they were represented but the representative had no right of vote. ( and I think the first representatives were designated, not elected ).

Only after 1911, IIRC ( or was it 1907 ), were the representative of Elsass-Lothringen fully equal to the representatives of other landers.

Like I said they elected their representatives to the Reichstag. (since 1874 there were 15 delegates). Since they were not given the status of a state (the landers exist only since after WWII) they had no own parliament. The first Landtag was elected in 1911. Since then they had their own constitution and 3 votes in the Bundesrat (federal council).

The reason why they were governed from Berlin was not because they were seen as colony. The other German states did not know what to do with them. Some wanted it to unite with Prussia other with Bavaria. In the end it was decided to grant them the status of a state some time in the future.

¿Where is the difference between the way Paris ruled over A-L in comparison to Berlin? Of course they had not the same indipendence like the other German states in the beginning but it is no less they had as a part of France.

In regards to Zabern I think it was more a matter of Prussians against the southern catholic population than a case of colonialism. The problem was that a lot of prussian troops were stationed in A-L. And lets face it nobody likes to have a lot of prussian neighbours;).
 
Top