Alsace and Lorraine has been a sought after area of land that has been shuffled back and forth between France and Germany. However, when the Germans gained this area after the Franco-Prussian war there were many mixed feelings about it. There were those who felt that Germany had no claim to Alsace or Lorraine and advocated French nationalism, there were also those who felt that Germany was superior to the French, and still others who simply saw this as a strategic move for Germany and worried more about the merging of cultures than between Germany and France. Still the differentiation in opinions led to a continuous struggle that made it impossible for Alsace or Lorraine to become a peaceful addition to Germany.
After the end of the Franco-Prussian war France faced economic as well as social problems. Germany had gained Alsace and Lorraine in the Treaty of Frankfurt which was a blow strategically since this area lies near the borders of France, Germany, Belgium, and Switzerland. It also is near to the Rhineland which was one of the most sought after pieces of land in European history. However, this blow hit not only the main country of France, but probably more greatly the inhabitants of Alsace and Lorraine. Many of the people who lived there were of French heritage and did not wish to be integrated into a German society. Many of the people who opposed giving up their French heritage spoke out in protest against this treatment. Directly after the signing of the treaty many blamed the French government for what had happened. In a declaration given to the French National Assembly citizens spoke out against the separation of Alsace and Lorraine. They believed that the government of France did not have the right to sign away Alsace and Lorraine and that since they had given their blood for France they should not be annexed away (Doc. 2). However it is stated that every citizen of Alsace and Lorraine felt this way which is not true since many citizens...