Alsace-Lorraine (territory), France
Alsace-Lorraine is a historical region in northeastern France, characterized by its unique blend of French and German cultural influences due to its geographic position along the border between the two nations. This territory has a complex history, having changed hands multiple times between France and Germany from 1871 to 1944, after which it has remained under French control. As of 2024, Alsace and Lorraine are integrated into the Grand Est administrative region of France, covering an area of approximately 9,416 square miles and home to a population of over 66 million people.
The region boasts a rich historical tapestry, initially influenced by Roman and later Germanic tribes, and has played a significant role in European geopolitics. Its status was heavily contested during significant conflicts, such as the Franco-Prussian War and both World Wars, which deeply impacted the local populace and their identities. Despite historical shifts and attempts at cultural assimilation, the residents of Alsace-Lorraine today proudly embrace their French citizenship while maintaining distinct Franco-Germanic traditions. The area still reflects its dual heritage, with some German dialects spoken, although the prevalence of the German language has diminished in recent decades. Overall, Alsace-Lorraine stands as a symbol of cultural resilience and historical complexity in modern France.
Alsace-Lorraine (territory), France
Alsace-Lorraine is a historical geopolitical territory of France located on the border between France and Germany. The region has both French and German roots. Control over Alsace-Lorraine served as a flash point of contention between the two nations between 1871 and 1944 when it traded hands on four occasions. Since 1944, both Alsace and Lorraine have remained in French hands. As of 2024, these areas were collectively included within the single French administrative region of Grand Est.
In the twenty-first century, the residents of Alsace-Lorraine proudly declare their French citizenship while holding on to their mixed Franco-Germanic cultural and social traditions. Cumulatively, the region consists of an area of 9,416 square miles (24,388 square kilometers), which is split between 3,200 square miles (8,288 square kilometers) in Alsace and 6,216 square miles (16,100 square kilometers) in Lorrainian Moselle. Its total population in 2024 was estimated to be more than 66 million.
Brief History
Due to its comfortable climate, rich farmlands, and location within the crossroads of central Europe, the Alsace-Lorraine region has been subject to long-term episodes of cultural blending and repeated invasions that have placed it under the control of many different regional powers. During the Roman Empire, it was part of a region controlled by the Gauls. In the first century BCE, the Romans conquered the Gallic lands. In 22 BCE, this area was made part of the Roman province of Gallia Belgica. It remained a territory under Roman oversight until the fourth century CE, when a group of Germanic tribes led by the Alemanni seized the area. The Alemanni were in turn defeated in 496 CE by the Franks, who made the region a Frankish duchy. The Franks colonized the region and Christianized its indigenous population.
By the ninth century, the Frankish Carolingians arose in central Europe under Charlemagne. After the death of Charlemagne, his son, Louis the Pious, took control of the extensive Carolingian territories. He anticipated splitting this territory into three divisions, one for each of his male heirs, upon his death. However, a fourth male heir was born to his second wife in 823. When Louis tried to subdivide these three territories into four, his adult sons revolted. Ultimately, the Carolingian territories were split into three kingdoms in the Treaty of Verdun in 843 after the death of Louis and one of his adult sons. West Francia provided the territorial basis for the later nation of France; East Francia evolved into the Kingdom of Germany; and Middle Francia was a central area spanning from the modern state of the Netherlands south to northern Italy.
The ungainly size and lack of unifying cultural links of Middle Francia made it an untenable kingdom to maintain. Upon the death of Lothair I—its only king—in 855, Middle Francia was divided into three kingdoms, one for each of his male heirs. The area containing Alsace-Lorraine was granted to Lothair II, who named the territory Lotharingia. After the death of Lothair II, his uncles, Charles the Bald and Louis the German, split the region between them. Alsace and Lorraine were ceded to the Holy Roman Empire and Charles the Bald as part of the Treaty of Mersen in 870.
Both Alsace and Lorraine slowly came under the influence of neighboring France. French king Henry II seized the three episcopal Lorraine cities of Metz, Toul, and Verdun in 1522, while Louis XIV conquered the remainder of Lorraine in the seventeenth century. Alsace, meanwhile, became a province of France as part of the Treaty of Westphalia that ended the Thirty Years' War in 1648. The full territory of Alsace was granted to France as part of the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697.
Overview
Alsace-Lorraine remained a part of France until 1871 when it was ceded to the newly created German Empire after its victory over France in the Franco-Prussian War. Ultimately, the German Empire annexed 5,607 square miles (14,522 square kilometers) of area consisting of the Departments of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin in Alsace and Moselle in Lorraine. As the region was largely German-speaking, Germany insisted on its inclusion as part of the new German Empire in part due to its heightened nationalist objectives and its value as a buffer against any potential French military antagonism. The new territory was named the Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine.
After its annexation, the immigration of approximately 10 percent of the indigenous population to France shifted the region's demographics. In addition, more than 300,000 Germans (including 70,000 members of the military) moved into the area between 1871 and 1914. Although many residents still initially identified as French, the German Empire regarded them as German citizens. By the start of World War I (1914–1918), the forty-four-year occupation had left the area's residents resigned to German authority and open to increased cultural integration and intermarriage with German nationals. The German government sought to reduce its French identity by renaming French-sounding place names and banning the French language.
The status of Alsace-Lorraine remained a priority for France. When World War I ended in France's favor, the region was returned to the French Republic as part of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. The previous heavy German immigration to the area led to growing dissension among the residents about their national loyalties. This cultural frustration was heightened by a campaign of Francization by the French government, similar to what the Germans had done during its period of control. Many German nationals returned to Germany during this era.
The return of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany continued to serve as a rallying cry for German nationalists. The declaration of war in 1939 led to the evacuation of a third of Alsace-Lorraine's population to France. In 1940, Alsace-Lorraine was occupied by German forces, although it was never officially annexed. Many members of the remaining population were conscripted into the German armed forces. Approximately 42,000 of the 130,000 soldiers drafted from Alsace died during the war. French cultural links were once again repressed. After the conclusion of World War II (1939–1945), Alsace-Lorraine was returned to French control, where it has remained.
The culture of Alsace-Lorraine continues to be a mix of German and French influences, although its residents strongly identify as French. The territory has been given special status in French politics, including the maintenance of its own customs and laws. The area's language is a mix of French and German, although some German dialects are still commonly spoken. However, the use of the German language has declined greatly since the end of World War II. German nationalism in the region has also seen a great decrease in the twenty-first century.
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