timeline L1M2: Franco-german relations: why so many conflicts and why were they such strong enemies ? by Solveig Coudurier

the first French humiliation

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-17 11:54:30 UTC

After only two months of war, the Germans took Paris and laid siege to it. In 1871, the French ceded Alsace-Moselle to Germany through the Treaty of Frankfurt and owed 5 million francs in war reparations to Germany, which occupied the territory until the reparations were paid in full. Wilhelm I is also proclaimed emperor in Versailles which compose a first big humiliation for France.

an unfair revenge for unfair agreements

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-17 12:06:56 UTC

The 1919 Treaty of Versailles follows the armistice signed by Germany the 11th of November 1918 in Rethondes and stipulates that Germany and its allies are to be hold responsible for the war damages, in revenge and humiliation, 1/8 of its territory is to be amputated, Alsace-Lorraine returns to France and other territories are given to neighbours countries like Belgium, Poland and Lithuania while the German colonies become a possession of the League of Nations which then handed the territories to other colonial powers (UK, Portugal, France...).

France organise the signature of the Treaty in Versailles to erase the humiliation she endured 48 years before and humiliate Germany by not inviting her to the negotiation in revenge

the effects on the German opinion

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-17 12:37:47 UTC

The treaty has sparked fierce indignation in Germany, where it is perceived as an absolute diktat, an imposed and unjust treaty, an idea that will feed the resentments against the Allies

a new and bigger revenge

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-17 13:38:13 UTC

As the French agree to surrender an armistice is to be signed. The nazis refuse to disclose the terms of the armistice in order to keep the French government in an unstable situation, unable to plan their conditions, Hitlers already holds its revenge. Though its in Rethondes (June 22) that he will seal his revenge, by signing the armistice in the same railway carriage that had been used for the signature of the 1918 armistice. Contrary to the Marechal Foch in 1918, hitler doesn't keep up the place of the signature secret and even make a show out of it by putting the railway back into place, he make sure to cover the defeated German eagle with the Nazis flag, places mics everywhere and invites the worlds press (American, Spanish, Italian,etc...): The humiliation of French needs to be worldwide

a swift and humiliating defeat for the frogies

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-17 13:45:07 UTC

after 9 month of war, or like the troops called it, The funny war, the French government is divised in 2 clans: the ones that want to keep on with the war, lead by Reynaud (president of the conseil) and the ones that believes that the humiliation is such, that only an armistice can save part of France, lead by Petain. Because of his military status the Marechal Petain eventually took power.

On the 17 of June the Marechal Petain is holding a radio speech where he urges the French troops to surrender to the germans and their Fuhrer

an opportunity to expend

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-20 11:09:37 UTC

in 1792 the European monarchies saw the challenge to the king's power and the instability that accompanied it as an opportunity to expand their territory. However, when these same monarchies realised that the king was not just weakened but could lose his crown and his head along with it, they reacted and declared war to the crown of France in what was then called the war of the first coalition.

a threat to monarchies

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-20 12:04:08 UTC

Prussia and the Austro-Hungarian goes to war along side the rest of europeans monarchies, not against France, but against the revolutionaries ideas that were seen as a threat to the monarchs power additionally they also would want to bring back order and somehow weaken the French crown that even in difficulty is still seen as an enemy.

humiliated by the small people

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-21 11:09:09 UTC

Too bad for the Germanics, they failed in fighting the revolutionaries but also accelerated the king execution since his relations with the other European monarchs have been revealed which resulted in the creation of the first French Republic. France also conquered some new territories in the now Belgium and Netherlands and established "sister rebuilds" (Batavian republic)

The war actually ended in 1797 when a certain Napoleon Bonapart negotiated a peace treaty with the Austro-Hungarian empire.

This is when the first Franco-german conflict and rivalry occurs as the French ideas will constantly be considered as a threat.

resentment against the little soldier

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-21 12:04:52 UTC

Napoleon as gone to many wars against Germany/ Prussia but created resentment in the Germanics population since he was the biggest obstacle to the unification of German state. After finally being defeated by the new German coalition, which was more unified than ever against French ideals that exacerbated German nationalism, Napoleon was exiled and the Confederation of the Rhine, created by Napoleon, was dismantled to make way for the German Confederation.

Ideas conquering Europe

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-23 11:59:11 UTC

Because of Napoleon's military ambitions happened 4 wars, all called the coalition wars, in which the revolutionaries ideas were spread and imposed to the conquered population. Something strongly in contradiction with the revolutionaries ideas but still seen as a pride in France.

bringing order back

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-23 12:18:00 UTC

after Napoleon's abdication (06/04/1814) the European monarchies are determined to suppress any republican/revolutionary uprising or demonstration, so that the French Revolution occurrences won't happen again. A wish that was acted during the Congress of Vienna (1814-15).

In short the biggest changement is that the Bourbon monarchy is restored to the throne of France bringing back the brothers of Louis XVI, Louis XVIII (constitutional monarchy) and later Charles X (absolute monarchy)

The consequences of the 100 days

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-23 12:42:35 UTC

Between the 20 of march and the 7 of july Napoleon run away from his the Island of Elbe and reconquer Paris, forcing the new king Louis XVIII to run away in the Netherlands leading his brand new power to crumble down. Although the king as lost his power, Napoleon do not retrieve its own since he was rapidly defeated at Waterloo.

Louis XVIII does come back to the throne but his power and policies is then highly criticised, he will still remain the sovereign of France until his death in 1824.

This event is what first fragilise the new French monarchy

standing up for freedom

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-23 12:55:27 UTC

Unfortunately for the European monarchs the French population doesn't follow orders, which firstly leads to the 3 glorious (3 days where the Parisians revolt against the power after Charles X suppressed the press freedom) that provoques the kings abdication and bring Louis-Philippe d'Orleans on the throne. This causes a wave of insurrection across Europe in the early 1830's.

those French revolutionaries again !

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-23 13:31:58 UTC

in 1848 the French population rises up against the crown after the uprising of the taxes and the king becoming increasingly authoritarian, bringing back the revolutionaries ideas of 1789. The French uprising is once again inspiring European populations, particularly in Germany, where the people are rebelling and demanding a republican German states.

An exacerbated Prussia

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-23 13:45:05 UTC

Unluckily for the German populations the revolt was brutally suppressed by the army of the King of Prussia, who refused to become the first emperor of a unified German state, even though he attempted the project after 1848. However, he was met with resistance from the Austrian Empire, which increased resentment towards France and its population.

However, the cards will be reshuffled under Bismarck.

a new way to get revenge

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-23 13:46:51 UTC

In 1862 Otto von Bismarck becomes chancellor of Prussia. Under his government Prussia and the Austrian empire allie to fight against Danemark, an opportunity to propose a unification, something the Austrian empire isn't ready for fearing a loss of sovereignty for the profit of the Prussian or should we say the Confederation of North Germany. Moreover the French remain as a stopper for the Germanic unification because of the Franco-germans region near the Rhine.

Bismarck comes up with a strategy to make Napoleon III declare war by making promesses to the French, regarding their role in the war that opposed the German to the Danes and the territories of Belgium and Luxembourg, which won't be honoured, occurrences that then lead to a rise of tension in 1869 in regard of the succession to the Spanish throne after the abdication of the queen.

achieving one's aims

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-24 10:43:39 UTC

As France doesn't want to see a Prussian king (Hohenzollern) on the Spanish throne, she demands them to withdraw from the proposition, something that initially accepted, but the negotiations went badly and Bismarck take advantages of it, pushing France into a trap by falsifying the diplomatic dispatch stating that the French ambassador had been humiliated by the Prussian sovereign; added to this was a translation error, and the French public opinion became inflamed, prompting Napoleon III and his ministers to declare war on the North German Confederation on 19 July 1870.

time to heal

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-24 11:54:11 UTC

After the end of the war and Germany's surrender (1945), France was fortunate, thanks to the efforts of Churchill and De Gaulle, to be considered a victor in the war despite the collaboration of the Vichy regime. France thus obtained a zone in West Germany and participated in the Nuremberg trials, for example.

However, the hearts of the French were not appeased. Germany had wounded them, and massacres such as that of Oradour-sur-Glane remained etched in French memories. The French would only begin to forgive when the newspapers showed the Germans being punished by debt, reconstruction and instability, which in the eyes of the French was the cause of their own actions and therefore sufficient justice.

"never again"

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-24 12:01:16 UTC

As usual, the French want revenge, but this time the Americans and British will ensure that the treaties are as fair as possible and protect peace. Europe then enters the era of ‘never again’, which gives the French a reason to be fair because no one is really a winner; everyone is a loser of such a conflict, some more than others, but no one wins from the population suffering, who ever she might be.

a new couple

solveigcoudurier — 2025-10-24 12:08:17 UTC

22 september 1984: for the 70th anniversary of WWI the French president François Mitterand (on the left) and the German chancellor Helmut Kohl (on the right) reunite in Verdun to honour the memory of their fallen soldier, but it was when the French President broke protocol and took the Chancellor's hand during the Marseillaise that we understood: the wounds had healed and, beyond the treaties (treaty of Rome, ECSC), we no longer saw each other as adversaries but as friends.

Of course, the French will always have a slight rivalry with the Germans, who always seem to be ahead of us in our ideas, too proud to admit that we would rather see them steal our ideas in the European Parliament than have them as opponents.