Originally Celtic, the population was modified during the Roman period by the arrival of a Germanic people, the Triboci. In the 5th century came other German tribes, the Alamanni, and then the Franks, who drove the Alamanni into the south. Since that period the population has in the main been Teutonic; and the French conquests of the 17th century, while modifying this element, still left it predominant. The people continued to use a German dialect as their native tongue, though the educated classes also spoke French. Protestantism was professed by a large number of the inhabitants; and in many respects their characteristics identified them rather with the race to the east than that to the west of the Rhine. In process of time, however, they considered themselves French, and lost all desire for reannexation to any of the German states.
Alsace suffered a good deal in the war of 1870-71. The
earlier battles of the campaign were fought there; Strassburg
and other of its fortified towns were besieged and taken; and
its people were compelled to submit to very severe exactions.
The civil and military government of the province, as well
as that of Lorraine, was assumed by the Germans as soon as
they obtained possession of those parts of France, which was
very shortly after the commencement of the war. The Alsatian
railways were reorganized and provided with a staff of German
officials. German stamps were introduced from Berlin;
the occupied towns were garrisoned by the Landwehr; and
requisitions on a large scale were demanded, and paid for in
cheques which, at the close of the war, were to be honoured
by whichever side should stand in the unpleasant position
of the conquered. The people, notwithstanding their German
origin, showed a very strong feeling against the invaders,
and in no part of France was the enemy resisted with greater
stubbornness. It was evident from an early period of the
war, however, that Prussia was resolved to reannex Alsace
to German territory. When the preliminaries of peace came
to be discussed at Versailles in February 1871, the cession
of Alsace, together with what is called German Lorraine,
was one of the earliest conditions laid down by Bismarck
and accepted by Thiers. This sacrifice of territory was
afterwards ratified by the National Assembly at Bordeaux,
though not without a protest from the representatives of
the departments about to be given up; and thus Alsace once
more became German. By the bill for the incorporation
of Alsace and German Lorraine, introduced into the German
parliament in May 1871, it was provided that the sole and
supreme control of the two provinces should be vested in
the German emperor and the federal council until the 1st of
January 1874, when the constitution of the German empire was
established. Bismarck admitted the aversion of the population
to Prussian rule, but said that everything would be done
to conciliate the people. This policy appears really
to have been carried out, and it was not long in bearing
fruit. Many of the inhabitants of the conquered districts,
however, still clung to the old connexion, and on the
30th of September 1872 -- the day by which the people were
required to determine whether they would consider themselves
German subjects and remain, or French subjects and transfer
their domicile to France -- 45,000 elected to be still
French, and sorrowfully took their departure. The German
system of compulsory education of every child above the
age of six was introduced directly after the annexation.
This article is from the 1911 edition of an encyclopedia, which is out of copyright here in the U.S. It is in the public domain and you may copy, download, print and distribute this work as you see fit.
Every effort has been made to present this text accurately and cleanly, but no guarantees are made against errors. Neither Melissa Snell nor About may be held liable for any problems you experience with the text version or with any electronic form of this document.
