Alsace and Lorraine, from Caesar to Kaiser

This superb history summarizes the major events and upheavals in the regions of Alsace and Lorraine, from ancient times to the late 19th century.

Accompanied by maps and citing sources which date back through the ages, this history of the Alsace and Lorraine provinces is well-composed. At the time this account was published in 1914, the two regions had spent years in the geopolitical limelight; since parts of both were annexed by Germany in the 1870s, resentments had simmered in France about the annexation. As tensions rose in the years precluding World War One, the provinces became emblematic of rising discontentment between the European powers.

Yet as Ruth Putnam demonstrates, the history of Alsace and Lorraine is long and storied, with the establishment of French and German cultural heritages in the regions a complex and nuanced matter. Their status was important as far back as Julius Caesar’s conquest of Gaul; noting the Germanic tribes nearby and their continuous migrations, the Roman leader had to consider them as he sought to establish Rome’s presence. Further contest between various monarchs and regional rulers occurred through the medieval era and after the Renaissance.