Lorraine (province)

:This article is about the historical duchy and province of Lorraine. For the modern-day administrative région of Lorraine, see Lorraine (région).

History

Lorraine was originally an independent kingdom. It was created in 843, when the Carolingian empire was divided between the three sons of Louis the Pious. Named after the new ruler, Holy Roman Emperor Lothar, the area and other territories controlled by Lothar became known as Lotharingia. In France, this became known as Lorraine, while in Germany, it was eventually known as Lothringen.

Related Topics:
Kingdom - 843 - Carolingian - Louis the Pious - Holy Roman Emperor - Lothar - Lotharingia - Germany

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Lorraine is a frenchified version of the German title Lotharingen. In the Alemannic, the language once spoken in Lorraine, the -ingen suffix signified a property; thus, in a figurative sense, "Lotharingen" can be translated as "Land belonging to Lothar".

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See Duchy of Lorraine for dynastic details.

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With the loss of the imperial title and the waning of Carolingian influence, the kingdom lost territories and came under the rule of a duke, thereby reducing the former kingdom to a duchy. Between 1733 and 1766 it was ruled by Stanislaus I of Poland. Lorraine became part of France in 1766 and was reorganized by the French government.

Related Topics:
Duchy - 1733 - 1766 - Stanislaus I of Poland

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Lorraine, along with Alsace, has long been contested territory between France and Germany. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the area was predominantly populated by Germans, who opposed efforts to have the French language and customs imposed upon them, a process which Stanislaus I effectively ended during his reign but which continued afterwards. A part of Lorraine, along with Alsace, was reunited with Germany after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 causing a number of French people to emigrate into France, and a part of Lorraine remained a part of Germany until the end of World War I, when Germany had to cede it to France. Under Bismarck's German Empire Alsace-Lorraine had (unlike other German territories) virtually no autonomy and was ruled by a governor appointed by the Imperial Chancellor and use of the French language was discouraged.

Related Topics:
Alsace - Germany - French language - Franco-Prussian War - 1870 - Bismarck - German Empire - Imperial Chancellor

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The re-establishment of German rule was reversed following the German surrender in 1918. Policies of forbidding the use of German and requiring that of French were then begun. The region was annexed by Germany in 1940 during World War II. Lorraine was combined with the Saarland, and Alsace with Baden. The occupation, while putting a halt to the perceived anti-Germanic oppression, subjected the region to the Nazi dictatorship, which was loathed by the majority of the people, including the ethnic Germans. The war-torn area was given again to France in November 1944 after a victorious campaign by General Patton and his army. Because of the fighting in the area, Lorraine is home to the largest American cemetery in France.

Related Topics:
German - 1940 - World War II - Saarland - Baden - Nazi - Ethnic German - 1944 - General Patton

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