Why is Alsace-Lorraine so valuable?
Alsace-Lorraine always seems to be awarded to either France or whatever Germanic state they are fighting depending on who wins a war. Why is this piece of land valuable though?
Edit: Thanks for the answer and source!
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level 1
While I will speak a little bit to the history of Alsace-Lorraine prior to the Franco-Prussian war, the region's importance was really due to its iron and coal deposits during the industrialization of France and the newly-formed Germany, particularly in the period right before the First World War.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, in which both Alsace and Lorraine were part of Gaul, they fell under the control of invading German tribes, and were later ruled by the Franks until 870. At this point, Alsace and Lorraine took on separate histories, with Lorraine becoming an independent duchy in Germany and Alsace being incorporated into a duchy with Suabia. During this period, both duchies were predominantly German speaking.
Alsace would remain nominally under German rule until the end of the Thirty Years war, where it was annexed by France. Lorraine was later incorporated into France in 1766 through a series of deaths and inheritances. It's worth noting that both Alsace and Lorraine would remain culturally German until the French Revolution, at which point their citizen's service in the French military and fascination with the Revolution's political ideals caused a shift in the region's identity towards France.
So, just to recap, Alsace and Lorraine had spent nearly a millennium under German rule and identifying themselves as German, but had become pretty much fully French by the 1870's. So, this begs the question: why did Germany want Alsace and Lorraine back after the Franco-Prussian War?
Well, initially Germany mainly wanted Alsace-Lorraine to act as a buffer zone in the event of any future wars with France. The area contains the Vosges Mountains, which would be much more defensible than the Rhine River if the French ever attempted to invade. Bismarck was actually reluctant to take Alsace-Lorraine, but German general Helmuth von Moltke, whose nephew of the same name would later serve as a general in WWI, insisted that Germany annex the region for defensive purposes. Also, Germany still recognized that the people living in Alsace-Lorraine had been German for centuries, and there were people who still saw the region as rightfully German and felt a desire to reclaim it. It is worth noting that both Alsace and Lorraine did not want to be annexed, and left France against their will.
However, in the following years it became clear that the real value of Alsace-Lorraine wasn't the Vosges Mountains: it was the minerals buried within them. The iron deposits of Alsace-Lorraine were the second largest discovered deposits in the world in 1918. During WWI, there were 2,800 million tons of iron ore in Germany. Lorraine alone accounted for 2,000 million of those tons. Once the dephosphorizing process was discovered prior to WWI, the value of these ore deposits became abundantly clear to both Germany and France. Add in a solid dose of French outrage at the loss of their provinces against both their government and their people's will, and this explains why control over Alsace-Lorraine was so hotly contested during the first half of the 20th century.
EDIT: Corrected a few typos and my mistaking Moltke the Younger for Moltke the Elder.
level 2
Excellent answer, and I appreciate the history with respect to Rome and the Holy Roman Empire.
I just wanted to comment on one point, that "Bismarck was actually reluctant to take Alsace Lorraine." This was true of Lorraine (Metz), but much less so of Alsace (Strasbourg). Take a look at Bismark's speech to the Reichstag on the conclusion of the war:
I cannot more strikingly characterize the position in which we find ourselves [...], than to relate a conversation with an intelligent South German sovereign [...] the late King William of Württemberg. He said to me: [...] "Give us Strasbourg, and we will be united for all eventualities, but as long as Strasbourg is a sally port for a power which is continuously armed, I must fear that my country will be inundated by foreign troops before the German Confederation comes to my assistance. [...] But the knot lies in Strasbourg, for as long as it is not German, it will always be a hindrance to South Germany giving itself, without reservation, to German unity, to a German national policy...."
I believe everything said in this case taken from life; I have nothing to add to it. The wedge which the corner of Alsace at Wissembourg shoves into Germany separates South Germany more effectively from North Germany than the political line of the Main, and it required a great deal of determination, of national enthusiasm and devotion among our South German allies to disregard this imminent danger, which would arise from a well conducted campaign by France, not to hesitate for a moment in regarding North Germany’s danger as its own, to strike quickly and advance in common with us.
All emphasis is my own.
You can note from the absence of any mention of Lorraine in the above that indeed, Lorraine was not Germany's priority. Alsace, on the other hand, most certainly was.
level 3
You can note from the absence of any mention of Lorraine in the above that indeed, Lorraine was not Germany's priority. Alsace, on the other hand, most certainly was.
I would add that Lorraine, although part of the Holy Roman Empire became very much under the cultural influence of France from the time of its implication in the Hundred Years War, when lords from Lorraine, who until then were more busy fighting each other, sided with the French Kingdom against Burgundy.
One of Lorraine's leading families, the Guise, dominated and plagued Frances's politics as leaders of the ultra-catholic (or ultra-anti-protestant) party over the 16th century, to the point of almost toppling king Henri III.
Most famously Joan of Arc was from Lorraine, and from the 19th century on she became a very prominent figure of French patriotism and nationalism, and obviously the symbol of pre-WWI revenge politics.
In comparison, France had very little to do with Alsace until the 17th century. So in terms of claim and cultural influence, Alsace remained more firmly in the German sphere.
level 2
During this period, both duchies were predominantly German speaking.
It's worth noting that both Alsace and Lorraine would remain culturally German until the French Revolution, at which point their citizen's service in the French military and fascination with the Revolution's political ideals caused a shift in the region's identity towards France.
While this seems true of Alsace, I question this statement regarding Lorraine. Most of Lorraine spoke a Romance Language Langue d'Oïl, Lorrain, except for a small region north of Metz, where Germanic Lorraine Franconian was spoken. It is worth noting that the Germans did not annex the entirety of Lorraine, but approximately 26% of it corresponding to the department of the Moselle. Linguistically the annexed part included: the entirety of the German speaking part and a small French speaking portion
level 2
This is a wonderful answer! I have a follow up question that’s related to a point you made. You stated that by the 1870s most residents of A-L viewed themselves as French. Is there any census data to back this up, and did this change in the lead up to WW1?
level 3
Hmm, I've linked a German website with some relevant information to your question. I wish I could find a higher quality source, but to be perfectly honest I have classes tomorrow and still have a problem set to finish.
It appears that my initial source may have been a little misleading. During the period between the French Revolution and the Franco-Prussian war, Alsace and Lorraine saw large numbers of French immigrants. This coincided with the opening of French-speaking schools and the entry of many Alsatians and Lorrainers into France's army and administration. By 1871, the area was ethnically mixed. The majority of citizens spoke a dialect of German as a first language, but those with a higher education spoke French as a second language. The prominence of the German language in the region was also used as a justification for Germany's annexation of Alsace-Lorraine. After the annexation, Germany gave the residents of Alsace and Lorraine the option of German citizen or emigration. 100,000 people chose to leave Germany and return to France.
That being said, German nationalism was weaker in Alsace-Lorraine than in other areas of Germany. A large part of what drove Germans towards unification was the desire for a liberal constitution. However, France had already achieved a liberal constitution, so Alsatians and Lorrainers lacked this motivation to join a united Germany.
If you'd like me to look into this more or try to find a more reliable source, let me know and I'll look into it more tomorrow.
level 4
Although it is true that the people here weren't too fond of joining Germany initially, by the 1900 German census 86.8% of people reported German as their first language. The region wasn't french by 1870 except the western portion around Metz
As far as I'm aware most Francization happened post WW2 when locals were especially eager to distance themselves from any German identity.
level 5
I think it might be interesting to consider the fact that the Francization to which you refer only happen around this timed not only for the Alsatians, but also for most of France.
Grandparents to this day, in France, mostly had another language as their own "patois", while speaking French mostly in schools or with officials.
level 6
'Francization' is a continuous process from the revolution to today.
level 7
Yes ! You're right !
We can also say it began even before that !
François 1er, in 1539, with is Ordonnance de Villers-Cotterêts, usually marks the beginning of the Francization.
level 4
Sure, if it isn’t too much of a bother. Thanks for taking the time, and again for the great answers.
level 2
I'm just reading "Order in Chaos" by Hermann Balck where he is also speaking of his experiences in the first World War and he clearly states that the People of Alsace-Lorraine actually felt during the first World War German and not French. So would you care to elaborate on the Feeling of the People in Alsace-Lorraine prior to the outbreak of the first World War? Did the people wanted to be annexed back?
level 2
That's very interesting to get the German perspective. France appears to have had, at times, the equal but opposite view, e.g. that the Rhine was a better defensive line (e.g. J A Lynn argues that this was the reason for the Sun King's wars in the region in The Wars of Louis XIV 1667-1714).
Certainly landscape dominates the history of the region. Throughout most of history water travel has been quicker and easier than travel over land, and this may explain the stronger ties that e.g. Strasbourg had to other cities on the Rhine than to the HRE/Germany or to the Kingdom of France. There is a lot of information on the separate identity of Alsace at the History Museum of Strasbourg, which is well worth a visit: https://www.musees.strasbourg.eu/musee-historique
level 2
Great answer! I would just like to add that it is arguable that Alsace-Lorraine was also seized for political reasons after the Franco-Prussian War ended in 1871.
Most of the steps towards a united Germany had already been taken at that point, unity being encouraged in the North through the Zollverein and other reforms, but the acceptance of the Southern States regarding Prussia's rule was not as solid as Bismarck would have liked. Taking French territory (and imposing a brutal treaty too!) meant that a retaliation from the West remained plausible, and the Southern States required a powerful ally as reassurance that they would not become the battleground between two powerful fronts.
In this sense you could say the territory was fairly vital for the success of the German Unification as well :)
level 1
The imperial provinces of Alsace and Lorraine were fought over for a variety of reasons. Initially the main benefit was their strategic location. Located on the Rhine river, they were vital channels of control for both commerce as well as military operations. Due to the cumbersome nature of supply wagons and the constant need to feed an army on the move, it was very difficult to move armies from one place to another without either access to a river to bring supplies by barge or an area that had not yet been sacked by raiding armies. This was most seen in the 30 Years War when both Protestant and Catholic armies more or less were forced to conduct their operations by logistical imperatives rather than the other way around. Given that the Rhine river not only was the artery of Germany and France but also the Netherlands it was a critical asset in conducting operations, none more so than for the Spanish and Austrian Habsburgs, Holy Roman Emperors.
Alongside Alsace and Lorraine lay an important land route known as the Spanish Road. Alsace, Lorraine, and the Netherlands used to be part of the Duchy of Burgundy. When the last Duke of Burgundy died without an heir, his lands were effectively partitioned between the French and the Habsburgs. The German areas were absorbed into the Holy Roman Empire proper, while the Netherlands were given to the Spanish Habsburgs. Due to emnity between France and Spain, the only way for the Spanish to send troops and reinforcements to the Netherlands was via this Spanish Road, a sophisticated set of supply dumps, magazines, marchable roads, and river access that happened to cross through Italy and Alsace. For the Spanish to intervene in the Dutch Revolt and later the 30 Years War, this was the only method. France, which had conducted its foreign policy for hundreds of years with the view that the Habsburgs sought to contain France, had a strong interest in weakening this containment in whatever ways it saw fit.
Eventually, through what amounted to a series of salami tactics, the French were able to finally annex Alsace and Lorraine via a combination of military successes and legal maneuvering. This allowed France to stabilize its border to the east with the natural barrier of the Rhine. However, they had to contend with rising German nationalism under Prussian domination, which encouraged vast irredentalist behavior, seeking to control all areas that were of Germanic descent, including Alsace and Lorraine. This eventually led to the Franco-Prussian War, whereby Alsace and Lorraine were given to Prussia and was later reorganized as the province of Elsass-Lothringen in the German Empire. The French, for their part, viewed these lands as critical for France not only for nationalist and defensive purposes but also economic. For the Rhine basin where Alsace, Lorraine, and the German Saarland lay was beds of iron and coal, which in the Industrial Age were critical strategic resources for industry (as they are the key requirements of steelmaking). Even today Alsace and Lorraine are some of the wealthiest parts of France, in no small part due to the steel and automotive industries that lay in this area.
Alsace and Lorraine proceeded to change hands a number of times after the Franco-Prussian War, most notably after World War I where France, its industry in tatters after many of its industrial regions were occupied by the Germans (such as Franche-Comte) demanded to be returned to it in exchange for peace, then later back to Germany after the Nazi invasion of France in 1941. With the end of World War II, it had been generally recognized that Alsace-Lorraine, for both political, nationalist, and economic reasons, had been thrown back and forth in a tug of war that if not dealt with would likely lead to a further continuation of the historic Franco-German emnity.
Part of the reason why the European Steel and Coal Community-the precursor to the modern European Union-existed was in part to alleviate these concerns. The idea was that the local economies of scale between French Alsace and Lorraine, and that of the German Saar and Ruhr, would be better off if the regions were able to cooperate rather than compete against each other. This allowed both nations to economically benefit from the region even though it was finally given back to France. In combination with efforts to mollify European irredentalism, this has managed to keep Alsace and Lorraine from changing hands since. However, the German influence in Alsace and Lorraine is still very strong, for many people in the area speak both French and German.
Sources:
Supplying War, from Wallenstein to Patton, Martin van Creveld
The Army of Flanders and the Spanish Road, Geoffrey Parker
The Franco-Prussian War, Michael Howard
Coal, Steel, and the Rebirth of Europe. John Gillingham
The Army of Flanders and the Spanish Road, Geoffrey Parker
The Franco-Prussian War, Michael Howard
Coal, Steel, and the Rebirth of Europe. John Gillingham
level 2
Alsace, Lorraine, and the Netherlands used to be part of the Duchy of Burgundy.
Is that true? Netherlands was Lower Burgundy for ages, but Lorraine became occupied by Charles the Bold for 2 years only (during the war with duke of Lorraine Rene II and others.) And if I remember correctly, Alsace was never under a rule of duke of Burgundy (while Franche-Comte was.)
level 3
Alsace fell under the purview of the Duchy of Burgundy after 1469 although de jure the burghers of Strasbourg were still ruled by the Bishop. And Lorraine had already fallen under Burgundian influence for a long period of time.
level 2
So the Spanish Road was from Spain, over the Mediterranean Sea, through northern Italy, over the Alps (where it would cross Switzerland?), along the Rhine and into The Netherlands. Why don't just sail through the Channel? Wasn't sailing much faster most of the time? What about the Swiss? Was there no problem with Spanish soldiers and supplies going through their territory? Or were the Swiss not yet neutral at that time?
Pfuh! Lot of questions, sorry about that and thank you for your work!
level 3
Not always over the Alps but snaking around them. There was an alternate route through middle Germany but that would take longer and as such was always a risk due to the fact that more supplies would need to be consumed.
The problem with the Channel was that if any of Spain's potential enemies, such as the Dutch, the French, the British, or anybody else, wanted to interdict the Channel (which is remarkably easy to do), they could completely stop any supplies from reaching the Army of Flanders by sea. France had less of a naval presence in the Mediterranean and the Ottomans were too far away to interdict the Spain --> Italy route other than via piracy.
The Swiss Confederacy was just that: a confederacy. Individual cantons could and did give permission for the Spanish to pass through their lands. Other times the Spanish bypassed Switzerland from either the west or east. The main leg, however, was almost always through Alsace and up the Rhine.
level 3
So the Spanish Road was from Spain, over the Mediterranean Sea, through northern Italy, over the Alps (where it would cross Switzerland?), along the Rhine and into The Netherlands.
The Spanish Road actually began in Genoa, though some units could walk all the way from Rome or even Naples. It was called the "Spanish" Road because the Spanish used it, not because it began in Spain. The Spanish usually avoided going through France because it was a traditional enemy and they were either at war with it or transit was heavily taxed. So soldiers often gathered in Barcelona and were shipped to Italy in galleys, then walked to the Low Countries.
level 2
An interesting, over-arching, and comprehensive answer. Would you mind editing in your sources? I'd love to have avenues for further reading in my own time.
level 1
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level 2
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