May 2,1871

TRANSLATED BY EDMUND VON MACH, PH.D.

[After the war France had been obliged to return to Germany the two provinces, Alsace and Lorraine, which she had attached to herself in the times of Germany’s weakness.  It might have been better to unite these provinces with one of the German states, but it was feared that so valuable an increase in territory of one of the twenty-five states that had just been federated in the empire, might lead to renewed dissension.  The suggestion, therefore, was made to administer the two provinces, for the present, as common property, and to leave the final arrangements to the future.  A bill concerning the immediate disposition of Alsace and Lorraine was submitted to the Reichstag on May 2, 1871; when Prince Bismarck opened the discussion with the following speech.]

In introducing the pending bill I shall have to say only a few words, for the debate will offer me the opportunity of elucidating the various details.  The underlying principles are, I believe, not subject to a difference of opinion; I mean the question whether Alsace and Lorraine should be incorporated in the German empire.  The form in which this should be done, and especially what steps should first be taken, will be the subject of your deliberations.  You will, moreover, find the allied governments ready to weigh carefully all suggestions different from our own which may be made in this connection.

I believe that there will be no difference of opinion concerning the principle itself, because there was none a year ago, nor has any appeared during this year of the war.  If we imagine ourselves back one year—­or more accurately ten months—­we can say to ourselves that all Germany was agreed in her love of peace.  There was not a German who did not wish to be at peace with France, as long as this was honorably possible.  Those morbid exceptions which possibly desired war in the hope of seeing their own country defeated—­they are not worthy of their name, I do not count them among the Germans!

I insist, the Germans were unanimous in their desire for peace.  But when war was forced upon them, and they were compelled to take to arms, then the Germans were fully as unanimous in their determination to look for assurances against the likelihood of another similar war, provided God were to give them the victory in this one which they were resolved to wage manfully.  If, however, another such war should occur in the future, they intended to see to it now, that our defence then would be easier.  Everyone remembered that there probably had not been a generation of our fathers, for three hundred years, which had not been forced to draw the sword against France, and everybody knew the reason why Germany had previously missed the opportunity of securing for herself a better protection against an attack from the west, even at those times when she had happened to be among the conquerors of France.  It was because the victories had been won in company with allies whose interests were not ours.  Everybody therefore was determined that if we should conquer this time, independently and solely by our own might and right, we should strive to make the future more secure for our children.