Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-08-21
AlsoceLoaine Prize Of Conquerors EUer Since the Reign
of Charlemagne

The history of Germany and the his
tory of France as separate nations be-
gins in SAB, and the history of the woes
and tribulations of Alsace and Lor-
raine as a buffer state between the
two, and as conquered first by the one
and then by the other, begins soon af-
ter that same year S43.
1t was in S43 that the three grand
sons of Charlemagne, fighting among
themselves, decided to end it by diyid-
ing their grandfather's possessions
among them. Charlemange had ruled
the whole of Europe as one united gov
eminent from his capital at Aachen-
the AK la Chapelle of today, which
belongs to Prussia. The private pos
sessions of the Pope of Italy alone were
excepted.
Sons Divide the Empire.
Charlemagne's son, Louis lie Debou-
naire, was too weak to hold together
such a heterogeneous empire of peo-
pies. Long before he was dead his
sons were quarreling over their in
heritance. The one who was the
strongest, called Louis the German,
had the first choice in the division, and
he became the first king of the Germ
ans. The second strongest, Charles
the Bold, had second choice, and he
became the first king of the Franks, the
people of modern France. The sub
jects of Charles all spoke one lang
uage, those of Louis all spoke an
other.
The third brother, Lothian, the weak
est, had to take what was left, and that
included what is now Holland, Belg-
ium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Alsace-
Lorraine, and a small strip of north
ern Italy. 1t was made up of many
dierffent nationalities. 1t could not
be easily defended.
Swiss Win Their Frendom
The mountaineers of Switzerland
wrestled themselves free from Lo-
thair's kingdom in the thirteenth CEN
tory, and have been a republic ever
since. The Hollanders gained their
independence cnder william of Orange
and formed a republic in 164S but the
successors of Charles the Bold ruling
in France conquered them later, and
it was not until 1915 that they were
free again. Belgium then formed a
part of Holland, making it too power
full for buffer state in the eyes of the
great powers, so Belgium was separat-
ed in 1888.
Luxembourg was promised to France
by Prussia if France kept out of the
Prussian-Austrian war of 1866, but
when the war was finished the sccces-
sors of Louis the German would not
let it go to the successors of Charles
the Bold. Luxembourg was then made
independent of both and her fortresses
dismantled that she herself should not
be tempted to fight on either side. The
small strip of nortern Italy which be-
longed to the kingdom of Lothair was
after many vicissitcdes incorporated
into the union of the Italian s-7.es IN
der Victor Emmanuel II. The bond
was such natural one that other
states have no chance of disturbing it.
Alsace and Lorraine then alone de-
manned of Lothair's kingdom to be
fought over by the two great nations
on either side. Together they cover an
area of 5,6O1 square miles. The max
imum length from north to south -
i45 square miles, and the max
imum breadth is "a miles. 1t may be
compared to the Hudson River valley
from Albany to New York. 1t is not
an extensive territory, but practically
every war in Europe since the passing
of Charlemagne has been concerned
with II