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History of Germany

A country in Western and Central Europe, where the Kingdom of Germany formed the bulk of the Holy Roman Empire in 962 and reunification came in 1990.. 7 eras, 962 CE to today.

Holy Roman Empire, 962 CE–1806 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Holy Roman Empire was a polity in Central Europe and Western Europe, headed by the Holy Roman Emperor and characterized by a decentralized political structure. It began in the Early Middle Ages and lasted for a millennium, until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1517 Martin Luther launched what became the Protestant Reformation, which divided the empire along religious lines.

Seat of power: Aachen

Rulers

German Confederation, 1815–1866 Draft, not yet reviewed

The German Confederation was an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe from 1815 to 1866. It was created by the Congress of Vienna to replace the Holy Roman Empire, which dissolved in 1806 as a result of the Napoleonic Wars. Its only organ was the Federal Convention of representatives of the member states, and the most important issues had to be decided unanimously. It ended after the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866.

Seat of power: Frankfurt

German Empire, 1871–1918 Draft, not yet reviewed

The German Empire existed from the unification of Germany in 1871 until the November Revolution in 1918, when Germany became a republic. The empire was founded on 18 January 1871, when the south German states, except for Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, joined the North German Confederation. Prussia contained about two-thirds of the Empire's population and territory, and the king of Prussia was also the German Emperor. By 1913 Germany was the largest economy in continental Europe and the third largest in the world.

Seat of power: Berlin

Rulers

Weimar Republic, 1918–1933 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Weimar Republic was a period of the German state from 9 November 1918 to 23 March 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history. After grave early problems such as hyperinflation, by 1924 monetary and political stability was largely restored, and the republic enjoyed relative prosperity for the next five years. On 30 January 1933 Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as chancellor to head a coalition government. By the end of March 1933 the Reichstag Fire Decree and the Enabling Act of 1933 effectively granted the new chancellor broad power to act outside parliamentary control.

Seat of power: Berlin

Rulers

Nazi Germany, 1933–1945 Draft, not yet reviewed

Nazi Germany was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictatorship. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany in 1933, the Nazi Party began to eliminate political opposition and consolidate power. Germany invaded Poland in 1939, launching World War II in Europe. Jews, Slavs, Romani people, homosexuals, political opponents and other groups were imprisoned, deported or murdered, and the regime's racial policies culminated in the Holocaust.

Seat of power: Berlin

Rulers

West Germany, 1949–1990 Draft, not yet reviewed

West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany from its formation on 23 May 1949 until its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. At the onset of the Cold War, Germany was divided into two countries. In the 1950s the economic miracle (Wirtschaftswunder) saw West Germany rise from the destruction of World War II to become the world's second-largest economy. Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, in office until 1963, worked for alignment with NATO rather than neutrality.

Seat of power: Bonn

Rulers

Germany, 1990 to today Draft, not yet reviewed

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Western and Central Europe. German reunification saw the former East German states join the Federal Republic of Germany on 3 October 1990, and Germany regained its full sovereignty on 15 March 1991. It has 16 states and a population of over 83 million, making it the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany has the largest economy in Europe by nominal GDP and is the world's third-largest exporter and third-largest importer.

Seat of power: Berlin

Rulers

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.