From a very early period and for many ages Alsace has been a disputed territory, and has suffered in the contentions of rival races. It formed part of ancient Gaul, and was therefore included in the Roman empire. The Romans held it nearly five hundred years, and on the dissolution of their power it passed under the sway of the Franks and of the early French monarchs, by whom it was governed until the time of Otho I., Emperor of Germany, who reigned about the middle of the 10th century. It was at that period that Alsace became German: its original population of Celtic tribes, which had been first Romanised and then further qualified by a Frankish element, was now to a great extent supplanted by a purely Teutonic stock. By Otho II. the province was erected into a landgraviate, and it subsequently came into the possession of the House of Austria, which succeeded in 1273 to the imperial dignity of Germany. This state of things continued until 1648, when a large part of Alsace was ceded to France by the treaty of Münster. In the war which preceded this peace (generally known as the Thirty Years’ War) Alsace had been so terribly devastated by the French that the German emperor found himself unable to hold it. The population was greatly reduced in numbers, and much of the and was left uncultivated. In the subsequent war between France and the empire of Germany, arising out of the attempt of Louis XIV. to seize Holland, that part of Alsace which remained to Germany was again overrun by the French. Although this war was terminated in 1678 by the treaty of Nimeguen, the French monarch was desirous of incorporating a still larger amount of Rhine territory; and accordingly, in 1680 he laid claim to a number of territories, belonging to princes of the empire, which he alleged had been dismembered from Alsace. It was ordered that these territories should be at once restored to that province under the crown of France, and several independent sovereigns were cited to appear before two chambers of inquiry which Louis had established at Brissac and Metz. The princes appealed to the German emperor and to the Diet; but the previous wars had so exhausted the power of the former that nothing could be done to resist the aggression. In 1681 the French troops under Louvois seized Strasburg, aided by the treachery of the bishop and other great men of the city. A further war broke out, but by the treaty of Ratisbon in 1684, Strasburg was secured to France. Again the war was renewed in 1688, and continued for nine years, when, at the peace of Ryswick, in 1697, another considerable portion of Alsace was ceded to France. Some remaining territories of small extent were acquired by the French after the revolution of 1789.

It will be seen from the foregoing sketch that Alsace was originally French, that it then became German, and then French again. From the middle of the tenth century, however, the population has in the main been Teutonic; and the French conquests of the seventeenth century, while modifying this element, still left it predominant. The people continued to use German 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 re-annexation 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; Strasburg 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 reorganised 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 Count Bismarck and accepted by Μ. 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 Emperor of Germany and the Federal Council until January 1st, 1873, when the constitution of the German empire was to be established. Bismarck admitted the aversion of the populace 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 connection, 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. The population in 1871 amounted to upwards of 1,060,000.