The region of Alsace, located between the hereditary enemies of France and Germany, served as a trophy of war four times between 1870-1945. With each shift, French and German officials sought to win the allegiance of the local populace. In response to these pressures, Alsatians invoked regionalism-articulated as a political language, a cultural vision, and a community of identity-not only to define and defend their own interests against the nationalist claims of France and Germany, but also to push for social change, defend religious rights, and promote the status of the region within the larger national community. Alsatian regionalism however, was neither unitary nor unifying, as Alsatians themselves were divided politically, socially, and culturally. The author shows that the Janus-faced character of Alsatian regionalism points to the ambiguous role of regional identity in both fostering and inhibiting loyalty to the nation. Finally, the author uses the case of Alsace to explore the traditional designations of French civic nationalism versus German ethnic nationalism and argues for the strong similarities between the two countries' conceptions of nationhood.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
List of Figures
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations and Terms
Note on Places
Note on Archives
Introduction
Chapter 1. Alsace Reborn: Emerging Visions of Alsace, 1895-1913 20
Chapter 2. Monuments, Museums, and Memory: Commemoration in Alsace, 1900-1914
Chapter 3. From Disunity to Unity: The Constitutional Debates and the Zabern Affair, 1910-1914
Chapter 4. War Weariness or National Reunion? World War I and Alsace, 1914-1918
Chapter 5. "Ne toucher pas de choses d'Alsace": The Return of French Rule to Alsace, 1918-1925
Chapter 6. Dual Cultures and Contested Memories: Alsace in the 1920s
Chapter 7. The Apogee of the Autonomist Movement
Conclusion: Visions and Divisions
Bibliography
Index
