We explain what the region of Alsace and Lorraine was and what its importance was in the conflicts between France and Germany.
With the Treaty of Frankfurt (1871), France had to cede Alsace and Lorraine to Germany.
What is Alsace and Lorraine?
Alsace and Lorraine was a historical region formed by most of the Alsace region and part of the Lorraine region. Today, Alsace and Lorraine are two areas that form part of the administrative region of the Grand Est, in northeastern France.
The region of Alsace and Lorraine was converted into an imperial territory or Reichsland of the German Empire in 1871, after the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. Germany decided to annex Alsace and Lorraine because it had a large German-speaking population and also contained important iron deposits and steel plants.
When Germany was defeated in the First World War (1914-1918), The Treaty of Versailles signed in 1919 determined the return of Alsace and Lorraine to FranceWhen World War II (1939-1945) broke out and Nazi Germany invaded France in 1940, Alsace-Lorraine was again annexed by Germany. However, the German defeat led to the French recovery of the region in 1945.
Frequent questions
What is Alsace and Lorraine?
Alsace and Lorraine was a historical region located in the present-day Grand Est region, in northeastern France. It acquired the status of imperial territory of Germany in 1871, when it was annexed by the nascent German Empire. The importance of this region was due to its abundance of iron ore and its industrial infrastructure. Additionally, the region had a high percentage of German-speaking population and combined French and German cultural influences.
Which countries fought over Alsace and Lorraine?
The countries that fought over Alsace and Lorraine were France and Germany. The German annexation of Alsace and Lorraine in 1871 sparked anti-German sentiment in France. After the First World War, France regained the region but lost it again during the Nazi invasion of 1940. After the Allied victory in 1945, Alsace and Lorraine once again became part of France.
When did France cede Alsace and Lorraine?
Following France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871), the German Empire annexed Alsace and Lorraine by signing the Treaty of Frankfurt and turned the region into an imperial territory (Reichsland).
When did Germany cede Alsace and Lorraine?
The German defeat in World War I led to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles (1919) which returned Alsace and Lorraine to France. In 1940, during the Nazi invasion of France, Alsace and Lorraine was once again annexed by Germany, but the Allied victory allowed French recovery in 1945. Currently, Alsace and Lorraine are two areas that are part of the French region of the Great East.
History of Alsace and Lorraine
During the Middle Ages, the regions of Alsace and Lorraine were part of the Holy Roman Empire. Subsequently, Alsace has belonged to France since 1648 and Lorraine was under French influence since the 16th century and belonged to the country since the 18th century. After the French Revolution of 1789, the Alsatians, mostly German-speaking and Protestant, chose to maintain their belonging to France.
After the Franco-Prussian War that began in 1870 and ended with the German victory in 1871, Most of Alsace and northern Lorraine became part of the German Reich. They thus became an imperial territory or Reichsland that was named Alsace and LorraineThe Treaty of Frankfurt of 1871, which made the territorial cession official, allowed the inhabitants of Alsace and Lorraine who wished to retain French citizenship to emigrate to France.
The German annexation of Alsace and Lorraine provoked anti-German sentiment in the French population.which was also economically affected by the loss of a territory rich in iron. On the other hand, the oppressive German policy and the attempts at forced “Germanization” made the majority of the population of Alsace and Lorraine willingly accept the return to France after the end of the First World War.
The French recovery of Alsace and Lorraine was completed with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919. However, France’s centralist attitudes, which sought to eliminate the specific cultural traits of this region, characterized by a combination of French and German elements, created discontent against France.
Following the Nazi invasion of France in the context of World War II, Alsace and Lorraine returned to German hands between 1940 and 1945. After the German defeat in the war in 1945, it came definitively under French sovereignty.
Today, Alsace and Lorraine are two areas that are part of the French region of Grand Est.They are economically very developed areas and do not have significant nationalist problems, because the French government abandoned the centralist policies of the interwar period. Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace and official seat of the European Parliament, became a symbol of European unity.
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References
- Badsey, S. (2003). The Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871. Osprey Publishing.
- Britannica, Encyclopaedia (2023). Alsace-Lorraine. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/
- Britannica, Encyclopaedia (2023). Franco-German War. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/
- Carpentier, J. & Lebrun, F. (dirs.) (2006). Brief history of Europe. Alliance.