--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: By the same right under which France took…" description: "\"By the same right under which France took Flanders, Lorraine and Alsace, and will sooner or later take Belgium — by that same right Germany takes over ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/484/friedrich-engels-8301_agreement_by-the-same-right-under-which-france-too_2403046.jpg" --- # By the same right under which France took Flanders… ![“By the same right under which France took Flanders, Lorraine and Alsace, and will sooner or later take Belgium — by that same right Germany takes over Schleswig; it is the right of civilisation as against barbarism, of progress as against stability.” quote by Friedrich Engels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/484/friedrich-engels-8301_agreement_by-the-same-right-under-which-france-too_2403046.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/484/friedrich-engels-8301_agreement_by-the-same-right-under-which-france-too_2403046.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/484/friedrich-engels-8301_agreement_by-the-same-right-under-which-france-too_2403046.jpg) > “By the same right under which France took Flanders, Lorraine and Alsace, and will sooner or later take Belgium — by that same right Germany takes over Schleswig; it is the right of civilisation as against barbarism, of progress as against stability.” [Friedrich Engels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-engels/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Engels argues that Germany's expansion mirrors France's historic conquests, framing it as a civilizational struggle between progress and barbarism. **In simple terms:** He sees territorial expansion as a clash of civilization versus barbarism. Key Takeaway Recognize the rhetoric used to justify imperialism. Themes imperialism civilization progress barbarism political rhetoric Mood critical analytical Type historical political philosophical When to use this quote - colonial policy - military strategy - nationalist propaganda - historical analysis Key Concepts historical materialism nationalism geopolitics Questions to Reflect On - How does framing war as civilizational progress affect public support? - What alternatives to territorial expansion exist? A Different Perspective The view oversimplifies complex causes and ignores human cost. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agreement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agreement/) [Barbarism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarism/) [Belgium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belgium/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Denmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denmark/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Flanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flanders/) [France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/france/) [Germany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/germany/) [Historical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical/) [Lorraine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lorraine/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Sooner or later](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sooner-or-later/) [Stability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stability/) [Weight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weight/) ## Related quotes > [By the same right under which France took Flanders, Lorraine and Alsace, and will sooner or later take Belgium -- by that same right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-engels/by-the-same-right-under-which-france-took-flanders-lorraine-and/) [Friedrich Engels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-engels/) > [“When God wished to punish France, he took away the Bourbons from her governance”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-bonald/when-god-wished-to-punish-france-he-took-away-the-bourbons-from-her/) Louis de Bonald > [A lot of weird things happen to me. 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