Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Alsace-Lorraine

ALSACE-LORRAINE (äl-säs-lō-rān') A naturally rich and historically interesting region, with fertile soil and active industries. It was ceded by France to Germany in 1871, and awarded to France by the Treaty of Versailles, 1919. Its utmost length from N. to S. is 123 miles; its breadth varies between 22 and 105 miles; and its area is 5,580 square miles, of which 1,353 belong to Upper Alsace (in the S.), 1,844 to Lower Alsace (N. E.), and 2,383 to Lorraine (N. W.). Pop. about 2,000,000. The French speaking population is mainly in the larger towns and in Lorraine. The Rhine flows 115 miles north-by-eastward along all the eastern boundary, and receives, below Strasbourg, the Ill from Alsace, 127 miles long. Other rivers are the Moselle, flowing through Lorraine past Metz, and its affluent, the Saar. About 48.5 per cent, of the entire area is arable, 11.6 meadow and pasture, and 30.8 under wood. Alsace-Lorraine produces much wine, grain, and tobacco; it is rich in mines, iron and coal; and manufactures iron, cotton, wool, silks, chemicals, glass, and paper. It contains the important cities of Strasbourg (pop. about 200,000); Mulhouse (pop. about 115,000); Metz (pop. about 85,000). As a French province, Alsace was divided into the departments of Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin. Lorraine fell into the departments of Meuse, Moselle, Meurthe, and Vosges.

In Caesar's time Alsace-Lorraine was occupied by Celtic tribes, and formed part of ancient Gaul; but during the decline of the empire the Alemanni and other tribes from beyond the Rhine occupied and largely Germanized it. From the 10th century it formed part of the German empire, under various sovereign dukes and princes, latterly of the house of Hapsburg; till a part of it was ceded to France at the Peace of Westphalia (1648), and the rest fell a prey to the aggressions of Louis XIV., who seized Strasbourg (1681) by surprise in time of peace. By the Peace of Ryswick (1697), the cession of the whole was ratified. In 1814-1815 Russia would not hear of the restitution of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany; and not till 1871, after the Franco-Prussian war, were Alsace and German Lorraine, by the treaty of Frankfort, incorporated in the new German Empire. The great mass of the population were strongly against the change, and 160,000 elected to be French, though only 50,000 went into actual exile, refusing to become German subjects. For, at least since the era of the Revolution, Alsace in sentiment was wholly French, To France she gave the bravest of her sons &mdash; Kellermann, Kléber, and many another hero. Strasbourg first heard the &rdquo;Marseillaise&ldquo;; and MM. Erckmann-Chatrian, Lorrainers both, have faithfully represented their countrymen's love of La Patrie in the days of the third as of the first Napoleon.

France long cherished the hope of regaining the lost territories, but had resigned herself to the inevitable when the war of 1914-1918 suddenly thrust on her by Germany enabled her, through the victory of the Allies, to realize her dream. See ../France; ../World War.

Source: Collier's New Encyclopedia 1. (1921) New York: P.F. Collier & Son Company. 131-132.