The Treaty of Frankfurt and the German Occupation The Treaty of Frankfurt, signed on May 10, 1871, ended the Franco-Prussian War between France and Germany. The treaty required that France give some of its land to the German Empire and pay a war fine of 5 billion gold francs ($1 billion). Until France paid the hefty fine, it had to submit to occupation by German troops. France paid the fine in September 1873 and was at last freed of German occupation.

Boule de Suif
by Guy de Maupassant

The conquerors [Germany] exacted money, much money. The inhabitants [the French] paid what was asked; they were rich. But, the wealthier a Norman tradesman becomes, the more he suffers at having to part with anything that belongs to him, at having to see any portion of his substance pass into the hands of another. . . .

The three [noble]men, also, brought together by a certain conservative instinct awakened by the presence of Cornudet [a lower class revolutionary], spoke of money matters in a tone expressive of contempt for the poor. Count Hubert related the losses he had sustained at the hands of the Prussians, spoke of the cattle which had been stolen from him, the crops which had been ruined, with the easy manner of a nobleman who was also a tenfold millionaire, and whom such reverses would scarcely inconvenience for a single year.

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Select the correct answer.
Read the historical information provided about the end of the Franco-Prussian War and the following excerpt from Guy de Maupassant's "Boule de Suif." In the excerpt, we learn about three noblemen and one lower-class revolutionary named Cornudet who are traveling together. Notice how Cornudet's presence affects the noblemen's conversation.

Based on the historical information and the excerpt, what can you infer about how French society was affected by the war?

A.
The French noblemen were insensitive to the stresses that the poorer class underwent during and after the war.
B.
The French noblemen were severely burdened by their contribution to paying the German fine.
C.
The French noblemen had to work hard to reestablish their superiority after the war.
D.
The French noblemen made secret deals with the Prussians to save their personal property.