Alsace-Lorraine was ceded by France to Germany in 1871 after the Franco-German war, then retroceded to France in 1919 after the First World War. It was again ceded to Germany in 1940 during the Second World War and finally retroceded to France in 1945. Today, Alsace-Lorraine is a 5,067 square mile territory in France. However, as you'll find out, it did not use to be so. Before the wars and the back-and-forth ownership between France and Germany, Alsace-Lorraine was Alsace and Lorraine, two distinct territories with different customs, resources and characteristics.

Most documented histories of Alsace-Lorraine reach back, but not to the very beginning. Ruth Putnam's does. She gives an in-depth history of Alsace and Lorraine all the way back to the time of Caesar, 58BC capturing their identities, politics and customs before they became bounties of war.

You are about to learn the true history of Alsace-Lorraine.