Let's talk a little more about the Treaty of Versailles. We have already said that he contributed to the creation of the League of Nations, but with regard to Germany specifically, the most important aspect here is that the blame for starting the war lies entirely with Germany. Perhaps, in support of this, you could say that Germany behaved most aggressively in the beginning of the war , declaring war on Russia and France for no reason, but as a counterargument one could say that Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and Russia had already declared mobilization, but then follows the counter-counterargument that Germany gave carte blanche to Austria by declaring, that will support it no matter what Austria does. Needless to say, the Germans were not very pleased that they were charged with all the blame for starting the war? In addition, and we have already spoken about this, according to the Versailles Treaty, the size of the German armed forces was sharply reduced - to 100,000 people, which is little more than a large police force. Germany was also prohibited from forming an alliance with Austria. Let's write it down: a ban on creating an alliance with Austria. You may ask why with Austria? Because Austria is a German speaking country. It is clear that between Germany and Austria there is a close ethnic and linguistic relationship, so the creation of an alliance between them was prohibited by the Treaty of Versailles. In addition, Germany lost its colonies. We have already talked about them. She had colonies in Africa, colonies in Asia and the Pacific. In addition, Germany had to pay reparations. Their amount is estimated at the equivalent of about $450 billion at 2013 prices. They were not paid in full, but laid a heavy burden on the German economy, especially due to the fact that they were paid not only in money, but also in resources. To guarantee that reparations were paid in resources, the Allies occupied the Saar region, which is located here, it was rich in coal, and for the next 15 years, coal was exported to France. The Allies were paid part of the reparations not just in money, but in dollars. It also had its effect, because Weimar Germany, the Weimar Republic (that was the name of the German government after the First World War, because the post-war German constitution was adopted in the city of Weimar). So, in order to pay the currency part of the reparations, the government printed more and more money, trying to convert them into other currencies, which resulted in hyperinflation that engulfed Germany in the early 20s, specifically, in 1923. Well, with the beginning hyperinflation, Germany could no longer pay reparations, and France, in order to ensure the siphoning of resources from Weimar Germany and in the future too, France goes further and occupies the Ruhr area, which is located here. It is also rich in coal and steel. The French began to export resources from there as well. This was another huge humiliation for the Germans. In addition, it bled the German economy. Allies pumped out everything critical resources from her. This also happened in 1923. The combined effect of the humiliation after the First World War, the export of resources and now the occupation of the Ruhr, which, from the German point of view, did not correspond to the content of the already bad Treaty of Versailles, all this provided growing support for the most extremist parties in Germany. For example, at the end of 1923, this prompted Hitler, then the leader of a rather small National Socialist or Nazi party, to attempt a state. coup known as the "Beer putsch". It ended in failure, but became a powerful impetus for the then marginal, i.e., very small party. Due to the occupation of the Ruhr area, the membership of the party increased dramatically. It is impossible not to mention the actual territorial losses of Germany. Right here, in the north of East Prussia, there is a tiny region. In accordance with the Treaty of Versailles, he came under the French protectorate, but was later transferred to Lithuania. We have already talked about the whole region of Germany, the former German Empire, which was simply cut off to become part of the new Polish state. Most of Poland used to be part of the former Russian Empire, part was cut off from the former German Empire, and another part from the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. I must say about Silesia (right here), part of which went to Poland, the other part - to Czechoslovakia. We mentioned the famous Alsace-Lorraine region here, which has been the subject of a dispute between Germany and France for years. Now he has retreated back to France. Belgium got this tiny area, and this region in the north went to Denmark. Well, besides all this - a reduced army, the export of resources, and so on, France really wanted to completely undermine Germany's ability to start a war in the future, and therefore she created a demilitarized zone in the Rhineland. The Rhineland includes both ... The demilitarized zone included German territory west of the Rhine, all German territory west of the Rhine, that is, this entire region, it was all occupied by the Allies. In addition, Germany was forbidden to carry out militarization and mobilization of troops in a strip 50 km wide east of the Rhine. East of the Rhine. If you look at the Treaty of Versailles, you will see that it stops any German attempt to start a war. She was forbidden to trade in weapons, she was forbidden to own many types of offensive weapons. An attempt was made to completely deprive Germany of the opportunity to do what she did during the First World War. But, as we can see, this to a large extent became a catalyst for the rapid development of extremist groups in Germany and served as one of the reasons that led Germany to World War II. Subtitles by the Amara.org community

An important element of the occupation policy of the Nazis in France was their attempt to quarrel the French living in different historical provinces of the country. Characteristic in this regard was the policy in the three departments of France, which constituted the traditional provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. Their territory was 15 thousand square meters. km and population - 3200 thousand people.

Some researchers believe that before the war, the problem of Alsace and Lorraine, Hitler was not particularly interested. So, in "My Struggle" he devoted only a few lines to this problem. In his speeches of a later period, Hitler repeatedly noted that the dispute over Alsace and Lorraine between France and Germany was easily resolved. All these pre-war official statements of Hitler and other leaders Nazi Germany in relation to Alsace and Lorraine, they were nothing more than a tactic, a disguise designed to hide Germany's true interest in these rich French territories. The true plans of the Nazis regarding Alsace and Lorraine began to be intensively developed and even openly promoted only during the war.

On September 10, 1939, one of the leaders of the Alsatian autonomists F. Spieser, in a letter to Hitler, proposed to annex Alsace and Lorraine to Germany and, for the sake of form, hold a referendum here. Ribbentrop was instructed to deal closely with this issue, for which in December 1939 a special referent was created at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by the chairman of the "Union of Alsatarians in Germany" R. Ernst. A very curious document has been preserved in the archives of the German Foreign Ministry - Ernst's memorandum to the deputy head of the political department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rintelen, dated March 9, 1940, outlining the proposals of this referent and his own. As it appears from the letter, an Alsatian by origin, Ernst was an officer of the Abwehr and coordinated the activities of a number of organizations engaged in the study of Alsace-Lorraine and propaganda on it: the Union of Alsace-Lorraine in Germany, the magazine Voice of Alsace-Lorraine, the Union of the German West, "Club of ethnic Germans", research institute for Alsace-Lorraine in Frankfurt am Main and others.

The author of the memorandum, who, as he himself boasted, has been advocating for the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany for 20 years, recommends that the Foreign Ministry avoid premature disclosure of any intentions in this area, even beware of links with Alsatians evacuated or in the war zone and the Lorraine. He believes that it is necessary to give "the opportunity to calmly develop unfriendly sentiments towards the French in the circles of the Alsatians and Lorraine", and after the victory over France, the Alsatians and Lorraine should be immediately re-evacuated to their homeland. “We are not interested,” he writes, “in rehabilitating the southwestern departments of France with Alemano-Frankish blood, while ourselves refusing this generally good German blood.” Further, the author of the note strongly recommends not to hurry with the inclusion of Alsace and Lorraine in the neighboring German Gau Baden and Saar-Palatinate and not plant officials sent from Germany in them. It is necessary that the Alsatians and Lorraine "first mature internally for this later incorporation into the large German regions," which may take place in 5 years, Ernst writes. The prominent Nazi official O. Meissner, who himself was from Alsace, also became interested in the problem of Alsace and Lorraine. He owns the idea of ​​​​creating something like a “protectorate” in these French regions, and Meissner himself undoubtedly counted on the position of “protector”.

Such half-hearted solutions to the problem of Alsace and Lorraine did not suit the leaders of the Reich. They advocated in principle the unconditional annexation of these areas, but again, for tactical reasons, this issue was not touched upon during the armistice negotiations. In the armistice agreement, Alsace and Lorraine were treated as part of France. In fact, the German authorities did everything to ensure that by the time of the peace negotiations, Alsace and Lorraine were annexed to Germany de facto. To this end, by Hitler's unpublished decree of August 2, 1940, "On the provisional administration in Alsace and Lorraine", they were divided into two independent regions and attached to the adjacent German Gau: Alsace to Baden, and Lorraine to the Saar-Palatinate. There was practically no military administration in them, as was the case in other occupied departments of France. On August 7, the governor and Gauleiter of Baden R. Wagner was appointed head of the civil administration in Alsace, and the governor and Gauleiter of Saar-Palatinate I. Bürkel was appointed in Lorraine.

In order to untie the hands of the Gauleiters of Alsace and Lorraine, Hitler gave them extraordinary powers. They submitted to him personally, other imperial ministers had no right to interfere in the affairs of these areas. The bureau for Alsace and Lorraine that existed in the German Ministry of the Interior was only a link, but without the right to control the activities of Wagner and Burkel. They were given the right to have even an independent budget. The names of these fanatical Nazis and racists are associated with the brutal Germanization of the French population of Alsace and Lorraine, their mass deportation and physical destruction.

Wagner joined Hitler from the very first days of his appearance on the political arena of the Weimar Republic. Together with him he participated in the putsch of 1923 and was imprisoned with him in Landsberg prison. After 1933 Wagner was appointed Reich Governor and Gauleiter of one of the important regions of western Germany, Baden. As governor of Alsace, Wagner showed himself to be a sophisticated, cunning and cruel politician who went down in history as the "Hangman of Alsace". January 24, 1945 Wagner, in last time delivered a speech in the city of Guzbwiller, said that Alsace is a German land. "I'll be back!" he yelled as he drove away. Even before his death in the early morning of May 2, 1946, already with a noose around his neck, this ossified Nazi shouted out fascist slogans.

"Party comrade", but the personal enemy of Wagner's neighbor was Bürkel in the Saar-Palatinate. He was also an old "party comrade" of Hitler and from 1933 often carried out his instructions for the covert preparation of aggressive acts against neighboring countries. In 1935, he was appointed as a representative of the National Socialist Party during the plebiscite in the Saarland. Using various machinations, promises, threats, direct terror, he managed to achieve a favorable outcome for Germany in the plebiscite. Bürkel then became an imperial commissar in Austria, where he became notorious for his rudeness and ignorance. Burkel was rude, cruel, proud. One of the authors wrote about him: "He was the type of Gauleiter, like a duke, who unconditionally obeyed only one Fuhrer."

Hitler handed over the fate of the French population of Alsace and Lorraine to such devoted satraps.

On June 21, 1940, Wagner arrived in Strasbourg and since then imagined himself to be the master of Alsace, although he had not yet been officially appointed governor. A few days later, Hitler arrived here, explaining to both Wagner and Burkel that they should pursue a cautious policy here, not rush to Germanization, so as not to prematurely reveal the cards and not shock the Vichy government and world public opinion. For the transformation of Alsace and Lorraine into truly German lands, he gave them a 10-year term.

But the Gauleiters were in a hurry to show zeal. Wagner once declared that Alsace belongs to Germany forever and that in 5 years there will be no Alsatian problem at all. On June 26, 1940, Bürkel authorized the prominent Saar steel industrialist R. Rechling to take under his wing all the industrial enterprises of Lorraine and Moselle, and on July 1, Goering officially appointed Rechling Commissioner General for Steel and Iron in these provinces. Despite the opinion in Berlin to temporarily leave local French authorities in Alsace and Lorraine, the Gauleiters felt that this was not necessary. They brought with them several hundred German officials.

The military authorities considered Alsace and Lorraine as an integral part of Germany, therefore, the Wehrmacht troops stationed here, in accordance with Hitler's decree of October 12, 1940, were subordinate to the commander of the reserve army and were part of the respective military districts of Stuttgart and Wiesbaden. By another decree of October 18, 1940, the names Alsace and Lorraine were canceled and it was said that in the shortest possible time they would enter the Gau Westmark with a center in Saarbrücken and the Gau Upper Rhine with a center in Strasbourg.

Upon learning that an action was being prepared in Berlin for the “legal reunification” of Alsace and Lorraine with Germany through the adoption of the relevant law by the Reichstag, Wagner immediately organized a propaganda campaign in Alsace, during which the “Alsatians” bribed by him demanded to join the “motherland” of Germany. However, contrary to the expectations of Wagner and pro-German circles in Alsace, the Reichstag meeting on July 19 did not discuss the draft law.

Thus, there was no document that would officially decree the annexation of the three French departments that make up Alsace and Lorraine. But in fact, the German occupation authorities considered these territories as belonging to the Reich. Already in the first months of the occupation, in order to completely eliminate French influence and impose fascist orders, the following measures were taken in Alsace and Lorraine: the heads of local authorities, objectionable to the occupiers, were immediately eliminated; a number of prominent members of the clergy, including the bishops of Metz and Strasbourg, were relieved of their duties because they used French and had a "French way of thinking"; not military, but civil administration was established; the state and customs borders were moved to the western limits of these territories; use French prohibited in institutions and public life; geographical names were Germanized, racial legislation was introduced. On August 16, 1940, a special directive was signed on August 16, 1940, in order to expel the use of French from Alsace and implant the German language, which the Nazis considered the Alsatians to be their “mother tongue”. It was called that - "On the issue of restoring the native language." The main requirements of this document are as follows: the official language in all public institutions and the church is declared German; all names and surnames must be written and pronounced only in the German way; all enterprises and institutions must henceforth be named only in German; inscriptions on crosses and tombstones must also be written in German.

The occupation authorities grossly interfered in the sphere of cultural life of the population of Alsace and Lorraine. In an order dated March 1, 1941, the head of the propaganda and education department, Alsace Dressler, demanded that French musical works "contradicting the cultural aspirations of National Socialism" be placed on the list of harmful and undesirable. Soon another peculiar decree appeared, which read: “It is forbidden to wear French (Basque) berets in Alsace. This prohibition applies to all headgear which, in shape or appearance, is reminiscent of French berets. Violation of this prohibition was punishable by a fine or imprisonment.

One of the fascist newspapers in the article “French berets are still banned” wrote that Basque berets are very common in France and wearing them means loyalty to their homeland. The newspaper reminded the Alsatians, who did not want to give up their "bad habits", that they had long been offered to exchange their "French hats" free of charge for "decent hats and caps". The newspaper warned recalcitrant Alsatians that "every Alsatian who does not want to be considered a Frenchman and treated as such must take off his French beret and completely abandon it."

In order to further weaken French influence in Alsace, on August 16, the local bishop was expelled from Metz, and the bishop of Strasbourg, who had evacuated to the south of France, was forbidden to return. To all French prefects and sub-prefects who evacuated south during the entry German troops, were also forbidden to return to their cities. The Germans were appointed in their place.

By a decree of the Minister of the Interior of Germany, Frick, those who lived here before November 1918 were considered citizens of Alsace and Lorraine. Therefore, the return of those refugees who arrived here later was prohibited. The French who remained in Alsace and Lorraine were forcibly expelled to other departments of France. The use of the French language was forbidden, and in case of disobedience, by Wagner's order of April 27, 1941, a punishment of up to a year in prison was imposed on the perpetrator. Wagner also banned the singing of French songs. However, on July 14 - on Bastille Day - French boys and girls still sang their traditional "No matter what, we will remain French", for which, by August 1941, 650 "politically unreliable" Alsatians were imprisoned in a specially created concentration camp near Shirmek . On November 25, 1941, the first rector of the German university opened in Strasbourg declared: “The culture of French origin has become a thing of the past. We must instill in the Alsatians a sense of belonging to the German nation."

In Alsace and Lorraine, the fascist German occupiers carried out the Germanization of schools in particular. For this purpose, in particular, 5,000 French teachers were expelled from Alsace and 6,200 German teachers arrived in their place from Germany. French teachers were sent to the neighboring German regions of Westmark and Baden for "re-education" and worked there under the supervision of German teachers. But Gestapo agents reported that many of the French "provided internal resistance to National Socialism and worked in bad faith. They still hope for a change in the military-political situation in favor of France and still feel French. They reject the racial theory and condemn the persecution of the Jews. Among a part of the German population, they find a positive response.

Associated with the school business in Alsace, the convinced Nazi E. Gertner stated that it was necessary to create such a stone wall between France and Germany so that not a single French rooster flew over it. Most of the study time in schools and universities was devoted to physical education, military training and singing Nazi songs that glorified Hitler. On July 29, all French titles were canceled and remade in a German way settlements, streets and squares. Everywhere, even in small villages, there should have been a square for them. Hitler. All French books were burned publicly at the stake, statues of Joan of Arc were confiscated, it was forbidden to wear any French badges and everything that contained the French national color combination of blue, red and white.

On August 4, 1879, the disputed Alsace and Lorraine were annexed by Germany, and an imperial land was created on their territory. Alsace-Lorraine. Berlin thus deepened the territorial dispute between France and the newly formed German Empire.

The two provinces, whose historical identity is ambiguous, changed hands during the Middle Ages. Alsace became part of the French kingdom at the end of the 17th century, Lorraine was part of the kingdom from the Thirty Years' War (1608-1648).

However, a significant part of the population of these regions, especially the Alsatians, retained local dialects.

Now linguists distinguish Alsatian, which is close to the Swiss varieties of German.

During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, active battles unfolded on the territory of Lorraine. The capital of the region - the fortress of Metz - was besieged by the Prussian army, after 52 days of defense the city surrendered, and with it - 200 thousand French soldiers.

As a result of the Peace of Paris, both areas went to Germany. Thus, the German Empire, formed in January 1871, strengthened its borders.

On the territory of Alsace are the Vosges mountains, which covered southern regions the newly minted empire - Hesse and Bavaria. With the annexation of Lorraine to Berlin, France could not feel safe, since Germany controlled the flat route to Paris - the "Vosges hole" between the Ardennes mountains in the north and the Vosges in the south.

Local residents in 1872 were able to choose their citizenship: the majority chose to remain French. But Germany did not consider the acquisition of these territories as temporary - on the contrary, they were to firmly enter the empire. A significant part of the French indemnity was spent on the restoration of the provinces that had suffered from the war. In 1872, the work of the university was restored in Strasbourg.

The ancient castle of Upper Koenigsburg, located on the territory of Alsace, was transferred to Wilhelm I in 1899, who began to reconstruct it in order to emphasize belonging to Germany and the Germans.

Additional measures to Germanize the disputed regions were administrative: out of 1,700 communes of Alsace and Lorraine, only 310 were allowed to use French in office work. Repressive laws on the press and administrative expulsion also persisted. However, separatist and pro-French sentiments persisted in Alsace-Lorraine, which was declared an imperial land in 1879. So, in August 1873, the Bishop of Nancy, who remained French, called on his flock to pray for the return of Alsace and Lorraine to the bosom of France. In response, German Chancellor Bismarck demanded reprisals against the separatist clergyman from the French government.

This story led to a diplomatic crisis. The position of France in it was unenviable: the country had not yet recovered from the catastrophe of two years ago. But Austria-Hungary, Great Britain and Russia did not intend to look at it with folded arms.

How wrote the English ambassador in Paris, Lord Lyons, "it would not be difficult to provoke and crush France, but will it be possible to do this without causing storms in other countries?"

As a result, in 1873 war was avoided, but in 1875 the countries were on the verge again. The French announced the expansion of the active army by 144 thousand people, and the Germans banned the sale of horses, which looked like a pre-mobilization measure. As a result, only through the mediation of St. Petersburg, namely Chancellor Mikhail Gorchakov, was it possible to achieve Germany's refusal from a preventive war with France.

He wrote that the annexation of Alsace and Lorraine is "the surest way to turn this war into a European institution." Indeed, in France they remembered the humiliation of 1871 and entered the war in 1914, including with revanchist slogans.

The problem of Alsace-Lorraine has become a key, but not the only one of its kind on the European map. In 1878, following the Berlin Congress, Austria-Hungary occupied Bosnia and Herzegovina, formerly part of the Ottoman Empire. In 1908, Vienna announced their annexation, which almost caused a world crisis and clashes with Belgrade. Despite the policy of appeasement (for example, Bosnia and Herzegovina did not transfer the taxes they collected to the center, but spent them on the spot), the Serbian population of the region did not accept the annexation. “The people stubbornly close their hearts to them (that is, the Austrians. - Gazeta.Ru”), wrote the traveler Charles Diele about Sarajevo.

As a result, it was the unresolved territorial conflicts that became one of the reasons for the start of the First World War. On the street in Sarajevo, the heir to the Habsburg crown, Franz Ferdinand, was killed, which became the reason for the Austro-Serbian conflict, which grew into a global one.

According to the results great war Alsace and Lorraine became French again. Then in 1940 they were again occupied by Germany - now Nazi. After the end of World War II, the fate of the long-suffering regions was finally decided - they became part of France. Moreover, it was Strasbourg that became one of the centers of pan-European institutions: it sits, the residence and other organizations are located there. The city has become a symbol of Europe, washing away national borders.

But the very expression "Alsace-Lorraine" became a household word: for example, already in the 1920-1930s, "Alsace-Lorraine on the Dniester" was called Bessarabia (present-day Moldova), the dispute over which was between Romania and the Soviet Union.

The following materials were used in preparing the publication:
History of diplomacy. In 3 vols. T.2. Moscow: Gospolitzdat, 1945.

Shary A., Shimov Ya. Roots and crown. Essays on Austria-Hungary: the fate of the empire. M.: Hummingbird, 2011.

After the Franco-Prussian War of 1871, almost all of Alsace and the northeastern part of Lorraine were ceded to Germany by the Frankfurt Treaty. The disputed areas, whose historical belonging is ambiguous, have changed their owners more than once, embodying a symbol of interstate conflict. Today, Alsace and Lorraine are located in eastern France. They became the main crossroads of Europe, where many international organizations and European institutions.

Between France and Germany

The rich history of the two regions located between France and Germany can hardly give clear answers about their ownership. At the turn of our era, the population of Alsace and Lorraine consisted of Celtic tribes. During the invasion of Gaul by the Germanic tribes in the 4th century, the territory of Lorraine fell under the rule of the Franks, and Alsace was occupied by the Alemans. The subjugated local population underwent linguistic assimilation.

During the reign of Charlemagne, the possessions of the Frankish kings were united into a single large state. However, after the death of the king of Aquitaine (Charles' successor) in 840, the kingdom was divided among his sons, which subsequently led to the division of Lorraine according to the Treaty of Meerssen. Alsace became part of the East Frankish state, which later became Germany.

From the 10th to the 17th centuries, as history shows, Alsace and Lorraine were under German influence (mainly through dynastic ties) and were part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation. However, in the XVII-XVIII centuries, France again managed to gradually annex the main lands of ancient Austrasia to its territories. This period was especially difficult for Alsace, which became a theater of military operations in the confrontation of several states at once.

In 1674, French troops manage to occupy 10 imperial cities. A few years later, through political manipulation and intimidation, he takes the oath of France and Strasbourg. And in 1766, Lorraine became part of it.

Within the German Empire

The Franco-Prussian conflict of 1870-1871, provoked by the Prussian Chancellor O. Bismarck, ended in the complete defeat of France. After the signing of the peace treaty in Frankfurt, Alsace and part of Lorraine were ceded to the German Empire, which was proclaimed a united German state.

The new division of the borders gave the empire military-strategic superiority. Now the border with France, thanks to Alsace, was moved beyond the Rhine and the Vosges mountains and, in the event of an attack, was a formidable obstacle. Lorraine, on the other hand, became a convenient springboard in case an attack on France was necessary.

The German government, ignoring the protests of the population, tried to thoroughly consolidate the selected areas in the empire. Enormous resources have been allocated to post-war reconstruction, work was resumed at the University of Strasbourg, the ruined castles were reconstructed. Along with this, the use of the French language was strictly prohibited, the press was published only in German, and localities were renamed. There was a tough persecution of separatist sentiments.

Status of Imperial lands

The German Empire, having finally secured the status of imperial territories for the disputed territories in 1879, united them into a single region. Previously, Alsatians and Lorraine were invited to choose on their own in which state they wish to live. More than 10% of the population opted for French citizenship, but only 50 thousand people were able to emigrate to France.

The administrative division of Alsace-Lorraine included three large districts: Lorraine, Upper Alsace and Lower Alsace. In turn, the districts were subdivided into districts. The total area of ​​the region was 14496 sq. km. with a population of over 1.5 million people. former city France - Strasbourg - becomes the capital of the imperial land.

It should be noted that Germany did not abandon attempts to win the sympathy of the inhabitants of the annexed territories and in every possible way demonstrated concern for them. In particular, the infrastructure has been improved, and great attention paid educational system. However, the imposed regime continued to cause discontent among the population of the region, brought up in the spirit of the French Revolution.

State structure of Alsace-Lorraine

At first, administrative power in the subject territory was exercised by the chief president appointed by the emperor, who had the right to maintain order by all means, not excluding military force. At the same time, Alsace-Lorraine did not have organs local government, she was offered 15 seats in the German Reichstag, and for the first decades they completely belonged to the candidates of the left-bourgeois protest party. There were no representatives of the region in the Union Council of the empire.

At the end of the 70s of the XIX century, concessions came, and the military regime softened a little. As a result of the reorganization of management, a local representative body(landesausshus), and the post of chief president was replaced by the governor (stadtholder). However, in 1881, the situation was again tightened, new restrictions were introduced, in particular regarding the use of the French language.

On the way to autonomy

In Alsace-Lorraine, supporters of the autonomy of the region within the framework of the German Empire gradually began to gain votes. And in the elections to the Reichstag in 1893, the protesting party no longer had its former success: 24% of the votes were given to the Social Democratic movement, which contributed a lot to the Germanization of the population. A year earlier, the Dictatorship Paragraph of the 1871 Act had been repealed, and from that time the imperial lands were under common law.

By 1911, Alsace-Lorraine received some autonomy, which provided for a constitution, a local legislature(Landtag), own flag and anthem. The region received three seats in the Reichsrath. Nevertheless, the policy of Germanization and discrimination of the local population did not stop, and in 1913 it led to serious clashes (the Zabern Incident).

Industrial province

On the territory of Alsace-Lorraine there was one of the most significant iron ore basins in Europe. However, Bismarck and his associates were not very concerned about the development of local industry; the priority was to strengthen the alliance between the German lands, using this region. The Chancellor of the Empire divided the local coal mines among the governments of the German states.

The empire tried to artificially restrain the development of the Alsatian deposits in order to prevent competition for the companies of Westphalia and Silesia. Entrepreneurs in the province were systematically denied by the German authorities in their applications for the organization of railway lines and waterways. However, Alsace-Lorraine contributed well economic development Germany in the late XIX - early XX century. And the influx of German capital helped bring the local bourgeoisie closer to the German one.

"Without us!"

The territorial conflict between Germany and France became one of the reasons for the outbreak of World War II in 1914. The latter's unwillingness to come to terms with the lost regions ruled out any possibility of reconciliation between them.

With the outbreak of hostilities, the Alsatians and Lorraine categorically refused to fight in the German army, ignoring in every possible way general mobilization. Their motto is a laconic phrase: "Without us!" Indeed, for them this war for the most part seemed fratricidal, since members of many families of the province served in both the German and French armies.

The empire introduced a strict military dictatorship into the imperial lands: an absolute ban on the French language, strict censorship of personal correspondence. The military personnel of this region were constantly under suspicion. They were not involved in outposts, they were hardly allowed to go on leave, and the vacation periods were cut. At the beginning of 1916, the soldiers of Alsace-Lorraine were sent to the Eastern Front, which led to the aggravation of problems in this area.

Liquidation of the imperial province

The Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919 was the official end of the First World War of 1914-1918, where Germany recognized its complete surrender. One of the peace conditions was the return of France previously selected areas - Alsace and Lorraine - to their borders in 1870. The long-awaited revenge of the French became possible thanks to the troops of the allies, including the United States of America.

On October 17, 1919, Alsace-Lorraine was liquidated as an imperial province of the German Empire and an independent geographical unit. Territories with a mixed German-French population became part of the French Republic.

Alsace and Lorraine remember the times when France and Germany fought for the possession of this region. This heritage is also reflected in the local regional cuisine.

Among hilly pastures, plum orchards, vineyards and steep slopes covered with pines of the Vosges mountains, nestled like elegant Nancy and urbanized Strasbourg, and wine-growing villages strikingly different from them.

The territorial proximity of Alsace and Lorraine to Germany determined the way of eating, which is dominated by meat, especially pork. In the forests of this region, bees collect the famous Vosges pine honey, and a variety of fish is found in rivers and lakes.

Features of the cuisines of Alsace and Lorraine

Meat and sausages of the region

Pork and sausages are traditional Alsatian foods. Among the local branded products you can find real masterpieces. These include sausages (cervelas), Strasbourg sausages (prepared from beef) (saucisse de Strasbourg) and smoked sausages (knackwurst) (similar to frankfurter sausages), sausages (sausages) from raw minced meat (for frying) bratwurst, which are made from veal and pork, sausages with lewerzurscht liver, boiled legs and presskopf pork head pate in jelly. Nancy, located in Lorraine, is famous for its delicious boudin noir black pudding.

In Alsace, geese have long been raised for foie gras foie gras, which is explained by the fact that the local Jewish population preferred to cook dishes with goose fat, rather than the forbidden pork. Since the 18th century, the foie gras pate de foie gras, which has become a specialty, has been prepared here. Cows are kept here mainly for milk production, although dairy calves are also raised. Poultry includes black Alsatian turkeys, chickens, capons and chickens (poussins).

A fish

Trout, carp, pike, perch, shad (a type of herring) and crayfish are found in the rivers Rhine, Meuse (Möse), Moselle and their tributaries flowing through the region. The signature fish dish of Lorraine is the trout pie.

Cheeses and dairy products of the region

The main cheese produced in Alsace and Lorraine is AOC " Munster» (Munster), a fairly soft cow's milk cheese with a yellow-orange rind. AOC Gerome cheese from Gerardmer is similar to Munster. Cow's milk is also used to make creme fraiche fluide, which is used in the preparation of many local dishes.

Fruits and vegetables

Cabbage, potatoes, carrots, turnips and asparagus grow in this region. Horseradish is Mitheim's signature vegetable, and white cabbage of the quintal d "Alsace variety, which is used for sauerkraut, grows in the vicinity of Colmar. Blueberries, quince, red currants, apples, peaches, and in Lorraine - the famous plums of the Mirabell variety (mirabelle).

Mirabelle plums

These delightful little round plums yellow color grow in the area between the cities Nancy And Metz. They have become one of the symbols of Lorraine. Golden yellow with a slight pink tint, Mirabelle plums are very tender and easily damaged. They can be found in shops and markets only from July to early September. Mirabelle plums can be eaten raw, they are very popular for filling pies, making jams, and are often preserved candied. But most of them are made plum vodka (eau-de-vie) "Mirabelle".

Bread, pastries and sweets

Among the signature pastries, look out for kougelhopf or kouglof buns with raisins and finely chopped almonds, as well as delicious salted caraway pretzels (bretzels). This region of France famous for the black rye bread (pain de seigle) baked here, the bergamot-flavored sweets (bergamots) produced in Nancy, which are made from honey and bergamot oil, and the Verdun dragees (dragees) made from candied almonds.

Pine honey

In the Alsace and Lorraine region, a variety of honeys are harvested, including from acacia, chestnut, lime blossom and mixed flowers. But it is worth looking for "Miel de Sapin des Vosges" (pine honey from the Vosges mountains). It is the first French honey to receive an appellation controlee in 1996. This sweet, dark brown runny honey with a characteristic aroma and balsam taste is obtained not from nectar, but from honeydew (miellat), which is collected by bees from pine trees in the Vosges mountains. Honeydew is a secretion of aphids.

Swabian pasta and dumplings (Spatzle)

Don't be surprised to see pasta on the menu of Alsatian restaurants. This is a tradition that has its roots in the 15th century. Most often, Alsatian pasta is made in the form of wide strips. It differs from Italian pasta in its high egg content - seven fresh eggs per kilogram of durum wheat flour. Spatzle Swabian dumplings are freshly made ribbon-shaped pasta made from beaten eggs and flour. They are cut into small pieces and dipped in boiling water, after which, before serving, they are fried in hot oil.

The best markets of Alsace and Lorraine

1). Colmar- Local vegetables and fruits are sold here (Place de l "Ancienne; opening hours: Thursday until lunch);

2). Metz– Located at place St-Jacques (opening hours: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday until noon);

3). Nancy– Market place Henri Mengin. Products of the region (opening hours: daily);

4). Strasbourg– Located on place de Bordeaux. Products grown in the region (opening hours: Tuesday).

Local cuisine (Alsace and Lorraine)

The historical dispute between France and Germany over the ownership of this region led to the emergence of a special Alsatian cuisine. Its typical example was pork with sauerkraut. It is believed that this dish combines the good appetite of the Germans with the sophistication of the French.

Alsace and Lorraine region menu

Lunch in Alsace usually starts with an onion pie, quiche Lorraine or foie gras, served as a pâté, in a pot or simply fried. In addition to the famous dish - pork with sauerkraut (choucroute gamie), in which sometimes pork is replaced with fish or game, another popular main dish is the puff stew of various types of meat baeckeoffe.

In both Alsace and Lorraine, the most popular meat is pork, usually roasted, served with prunes and cabbage, or as a glazed roast suckling pig. Chickens are often cooked in beer or stewed in Riesling wine and served with a creamy sauce. Boudin noir blood sausage from Nancy is most often fried and served with mashed potatoes or cooked with omelettes. In winter, stewed game is very common, often served with pasta or Spatzle dumplings.

The choice of fish dishes is very large. Trout is cooked in the Riesling, while pike and pike perch are char-grilled or pan-fried and served with a Pinot Noir wine sauce. Carp, as a rule, are left for festive occasions. It can be cooked in beer or stuffed, it is also cooked in batter (carpe frite). For cheeses, look for Muenster cheese, and for desserts, there is a wide selection of fruit pies with blueberries, prunes or Mirabell plums. No less tempting are apple strudel, sweet cheesecakes (cheesecake), Nancy chocolate cake and baba rum (baba au rhum).

Pork with sauerkraut

A typical example of how the Alsatians use spices and their love for sausages can be this hot dish with fragrant sauerkraut, on which sausages and ham (choucroute garnie) are laid out. Pieces of ham and smoked ham are lightly fried with cabbage, white wine and onions. At the very end, smoked Strasbourg sausages and Montbeliard sausages are added.

Puff stew from different types meat

The name of this puff stew of various types of meat comes from the words "bake" and "stove" (baeckeoffe). Beef, lamb, pork and sometimes pig's feet and ox or ox tails are marinated with spices and white wine. The meat is laid out in layers along with thinly sliced ​​potatoes and onions, after which it is closed with a lid or “sealed” with dough. Cooked in the oven for four hours.

Pie in Lorraine

This is the famous pie (quiche Lorraine), consisting of a rolled out pastry base, on top of which is laid out finely chopped ham and a mixture of chopped eggs and cream. The cake is baked in the oven and served hot.

Alsatian pizza (Tart flambee)

Flambee tarte This crispy pie (Flammekueche), cooked on fire, is an Alsatian version of pizza. In the classic recipe, chopped ham, sour cream and onions are laid out on the base of the dough, however, in addition to this, you can add countless other ingredients: from mushrooms to pineapples.

Baba

Baba or cake (baba au rhum) is made from flour, milk, sugar, raisins, eggs and butter. The dough is allowed to rise before being sent for baking. The cake is then dipped in sugar syrup laced with rum and served cold with whipped cream.

The best regional dishes

1). Dish Brochet au pinot noir– Pike cooked in red wine;

2). Dish Carpe a la bière– Carp cooked with onions in beer;

3). Dish Carpe frite- Pieces of carp fried in batter;

4). Gateau au fromage blanc pudding- Cottage cheese pudding;

5). Dish Jambonneau roti- Fried ham;

6). Bun Kougelhopf– Bun with raisins and almonds;

7). Omelette au boudin noir de Nancy- Omelet with black pudding from Nancy;

8). Dish Potee Lorraine– Lorraine stew (corned beef baked with cabbage, carrots and onions);

9). Dish Poularde au Riesling– Chicken with Riesling (chicken in white wine with cream and mushrooms);

10). Dish Roti du porc aux quetsches- Pork fried with "Ketsh" (plum for cooking prunes);

11). Dish Sandre au Riesling– Pike perch cooked in Riesling;

12). Pie Tarte a l'oignon- Open onion pie.

13). Pie Tarte aux mirabelles– Sweet pie with plum “Mirabel”;

14). Pie Tarte aux quetsches– Sweet pie with prunes;

15). Dish Truite au Riesling- Trout cooked in Riesling.

1). Restaurant A la Couronne d'Or– A small hotel restaurant serving only hotel guests. Sauerkraut with seafood, puff stew of different meats (baeckeoffe) and Alsatian version of pizza (flammekueche) are very tasty. Restaurant address: 30 rue General de Gaulle, Drusenheim (Drusenheim is a commune in France, in the Alsace region, the Bas-Rhin department, which is 410 kilometers east of Paris and 25 kilometers northeast of Strasbourg);

2). Restaurant A L'Etoile– A wonderful place with an outdoor pool and great views of Baldenheim. Try Alsatian pizza (flammekueche) and pork with sauerkraut (choucroute garnie) served in the glass-enclosed conservatory. Restaurant address: 14 rue de Baldenheim (Baldenheim is a commune in France, in the Alsace region, the Bas-Rhin department, which is 390 kilometers east of Paris and 45 kilometers south of Strasbourg);

3). Restaurant Au Pont St-Martin- Crowded with tourists, but located in a famous old building on the banks of the Petite France river. A large selection of Alsatian pizzas (flammekueche), pork with sauerkraut (choucroute garnie) and delicious puffed meat and fish stews (baeckeoffe) will distract you from admiring the views. For dessert, you should appreciate the Gewurztraminer sherbet. Musical performances are sometimes held in the evenings (surcharge applies). Restaurant address: 15 rue des Moulins, Strasbourg;

4). Restaurant Le Calmosien– In this popular restaurant, which is located in a tiny village by the lake, you will be offered veal kidneys with mustard sauce, roast game and roast veal. Restaurant address: 37 rue d`Epinal, Chaumousey (Chomusey is a commune in France, in the Lorraine region, Vosges department, which is 310 kilometers east of Paris, 110 kilometers south of Metz and 9 kilometers west of Epinal);

5). Restaurant Le Jamagne– Delicious dishes are waiting for you here – mountain pâté (terrine de Montagne), prepared according to a family recipe, veal kidneys in mustard and clafoutis fruit pies with Mirabell plum. Restaurant address: 2 bd. De la Jamagne, Gerardmer (Gerardmer is a small town in the Vosges department, region Lorraine, France).

Wines and spirits of Alsace and Lorraine

Nowhere else in France do vineyards look as charming as in Alsace. Along the entire 170-kilometer journey from Marlenheim to Thane, among the countryside, there are ruins of ancient defenses and well-maintained medieval villages where traditional drinks are made. Alsace is located in the extreme northeast of France. The local climate is perfect for growing grapes. Various grape varieties grow here, from which wines that are completely dissimilar in character are obtained.

Types and names of Alsatian wines

Unlike other appellations (names - appellations), Alsatian wines are easy to distinguish by slender, slightly corrugated bottles, on the labels of which the grape variety is indicated. Seven main grape varieties are used.

1). Riesling- Alsatian experts consider him "the king of grapes." Riesling produces high quality dry wines. When young, this wine may have a floral taste. Some Riesling wines are characterized by a special aftertaste;

2). Pinot Gris“The best wines come from grapes grown in low-lying vineyards. Alsatian "pinot gris" has a complex honey bouquet with a hint of smoke and a thick, rich structure;

3). Muscat– Two grape varieties – Spicy (spicy) “Muscat d’Alsace” and exquisite “Muscat Ottonel” allow you to get fragrant dry wines with the aroma and taste of fresh grapes;

4). Gewurztraminer (Gewurztraminer)– This is a wine with a rich taste, in which you can sometimes catch notes of an old English rose, a little spicy, with a taste of tropical fruits, in the highest degree suitable for exotic and spicy dishes;

5). Sylvaner (Sylvaner)– This grape produces a refreshing and thirst-quenching wine with a floral aroma;

6). Pinot Blanc– Plantings of this grape are expanding, pushing Silvaner grapes. Pinot blanc produces non-sparkling, easy-drinking and excellent effervescent (sparkling) wines. The Pinot Auxerrois grape is similar;

7). Pinot Naur (Pinot Noir)– This is the only red grape that is allowed to be grown in Alsace. It produces savory red or rosé wines with cherry flavors.

The excellent wine "Alsace Grand Cru" makes up a small percentage of all wines produced in Alsace. Such wine must be made from one of the four noble grapes (Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat or Pinot Gris) grown in one of the 50 reputable vineyards that contains the phrase "Grand Cru" in the name, which must be indicated on the label.

Many of these vineyards are located on steep, open slopes overlooking villages. Difficult to produce world quality wines include the following brands: Goldert, Rangen, Rosacker, Pfersigberg, Schoenenbourg and Sporen, Steinert, Vorbourg and Zinnkoepfle. Wine is also produced in neighboring Lorraine, but these vineyards are located on the rainy side of the Vosges. Light VDQS red wines from Côtes de Toul and white wines from Vin de Moselle do not stand up to comparison with Alsatian wines.

Sparkling Alsatian wines (Cremant d'Alsace)

These are sparkling wines that are produced in accordance with traditional method champagne with secondary fermentation in the bottle. The grapes from which cremant wines will be made are always harvested earlier than the grapes destined for the production of Alsatian still wines, which guarantees the level of acidity necessary for the headiness and freshness of sparkling wines. Most sparkling Alsatian wine Cremant d "Alsace are not very expensive and are a good substitute for traditional champagnes.

Vendange Tardive and Selection de Grains Nobles

Vendange Tardive (VT) and Selection de Grains Nobles (SGN) are not quite a name (appellation). It is rather an additional name that can be added to the generic name or the name "Grand Cru". VT wines are made from late harvest grapes. Sometimes, but not always, they are sweet.

They are released in certain years when sunny autumn and low rainfall mean that the grapes ripen later than expected. They gather all the strength of the aroma of an individual grape variety, and such wines can be stored for many years.

SGN wines are made from several successive harvests of grapes affected by noble rot. These rare and expensive wines lose their expressiveness for the sake of rare refinement and saturation with exotic aromas. Such maturity and rich bouquet mean that they should be drunk to enjoy their taste at the end of a meal along with desserts.

Edelzwicker

Edelzwicker is the only non-sparkling wine in Alsace that is made from a mixture of grapes. It is always a cheap, light wine, sometimes with a spicy aftertaste. Full jugs of Edelzwicker are served in beer and wine cellars ( restaurants) in order to wash down fatty dishes with pork.

Winstub wine cellar

If there is a cozy place in the world where you could relax your body and soul, then this is the winstub wine cellar. Initially, "stube" was the name of a small back room in a rural house, where a group of friends could gather around a small wooden table over a bottle of wine and talk a lot. In various periods of history, when these lands joined Germany, winemakers began to transfer rural winstub to cities.

Winstub became what beer brasseries never could - small, cozy wine cellars (bars) that served local wines. Food has always come second. There is no special decoration in a real wine cellar, since the attention of a drinking person should not be distracted from the main goal - a lively conversation under changing jugs of wine!

Brotherhood of Saint-Étienne

This brotherhood, one of the oldest in France, was founded in the XIV century. Every year on December 26, the inhabitants of Amersvir certainly gathered together in order to try a new wine. In the last century, this tradition was revived after a period of neglect. Today, the "Fraternity of Saint-Etienne" (Confrerie de St-Etienne) is located in the Kainzheim castle near Kaysersberg. Its members hold two main tastings every year, which award a special red seal of quality to those wines that have demonstrated typical taste and meet the most stringent requirements.

Vodka (Eaux-de-Vie)

On the slopes of the Vosges and on the plains of Lorraine in in large numbers fruits grow. Vodkas have been made from pears of the Williams variety, prunes and golden plums of the Mirabell variety since ancient times. For these purposes, many types of wild berries are also used: blueberries, wild strawberries, elderberries, rose hips, rowan berries, blackthorn berries, myrtle and even holly berries.

Raspberries began to be used only in last years, since previously these tender berries were intended only for serving on the tables of aristocrats around the world. Raspberry vodka turns out to be very thin, but it should be drunk only young, no later than two years from the date of bottling. It is believed that the cherry vodka "Kirsch" (Kirsch) was made first. It was invented in XVII century one monk. In the Alsatian dialect, she was called kirschivasser.

Delicious, golden with a red tint, the Mirabell plum is the main fruit in Lorraine. This classic dessert fruit makes an excellent vodka with a strong, distinctive flavor prized for its ability to improve digestion. Mirabelle plum vodka is very sensitive to light, in which its bouquet and transparency are destroyed.

Museum of vodka and liqueurs

This interesting museum is located in the village of Lapoutrou near Colmar and is housed in a former coaching inn from the 18th century. Actual address: 85 rue du General Dufieux, Lapoutroie. Opening hours: open all year round.

The best vodka producers

1). Distillery Jean-Paul Mette– This company is considered one of the best in France, and maybe in the whole world. They continue to produce vodkas that retain the incomparable sublimity of the fruits and berries used.

2). Massenez- This fairly well-known French vodka producer specializes in raspberries and Williams pears. It was formed in 1870.

Alsatian beer

Alsatian brewers produce more than half of all beer brewed in France. Barley is grown on rich alluvial (alluvial) soils in the Rieu region. And the hops come from the hilly Kohsberg and Akerland valleys. Only two of the six breweries in Alsace (Schutzenberger and Meteor) are family owned and continue to brew beer in the traditional way. Since 1972, the Heineken concern has come to Alsace. The giant concern "Kronenbourg" makes beer in Strasbourg and Oberny. Beer is also brewed in Lorraine.