Alsace, the area in Eastern France whose absence from France from 1870 to 1918 was one of the issues of World War I, has once again been restored to the map of France after an absence of two years.
The area’s name disappeared when former President Francois Hollande reorganized France’s regional governments for simplicity, in some cases combining historic areas that lost their names. Alsace, Lorraine and some adjoining areas became Grand Est, and Alsace itself was split between two Departments, Haut-Rhin and Bas Rhin.
Yesterday, French Prime Minister Eduouard Philippe announced that the two departments would be merged under a single new Council of Alsace.
