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# History of Germany

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The Federal Republic of Germany exists in its current form since 1990, the year of reunification of the socialist? German Democratic Republic (GDR, or DDR, which stands for Deutsche Demokratische Republik) and the western-oriented Federal Republic of Germany. At the same time, former German territories east of the DDR that were under Polish and Russian control were given to that nations, most notably Eastern Prussia?. The German constitution dates back to 1949, when the Western occupied zones were established as the Federal Republic of Germany.

The first major effort to unite the disparate German kingdoms and territories was headed by Charlemagne, who founded his vast empire in 800 AD. His successors divided the Frankish Empire later into eastern and western parts, the western part became France and the western part the first "Reich" (German for empire), with the "Kaiser?" (emperor, term is derived from Caesar?) as the head of the Holy Roman Empire, which was several hundred years later renamed to [Holy Roman Empire of German Nations]? which was disbanded in 1806 and conquered by Napoleon Bonaparte a few years later. After Napoleon's defeat, the German states (which had been relatively independent throughout the First Reich) united to form the [Deutscher Bund]? - a rather loose organisation, especially because the two great rivals, the Austrian empire and the Prussian kingdom didn't want to give up their power. Under the influence of the Prussian chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the Prussian kingdom expanded its power greatly and forced Austria to leave the Bund. After the victory of 1871 in the [Franco-Prussian War]?, the German states formed the second Reich, with the Prussian king as the emperor and without Austria. This Reich flourished under the guidance of Otto von Bismarck, but after the Kaiser's death, his successor forced him out of office and tried to get colonies in Africa and challenged the [British Empire]?'s naval? power, which eventually lead to confrontation in World War I.

After the death of Queen Victoria, the European? balance of power became shaky, and the struggling Austrian empire declared war on Serbia? after the Austrian successor to the throne was shot in Sarajevo. Germany, which still had an alliance with Austria dating back to Bismarck's sophisticated system of treaties, joined Austria and declared war on France in what it called a strike of prevention. In the course of the war, Germany and its allies?, the Austrian empire and the Osman empire slowly but steadily lost. They managed to achieve a victory over the Russian empire which they destabilized by supporting Lenin and his bolshewik movement. After the October revolution, they reached the [Peace of Brest-Litowsk]? which was later abolished by the Treaty of Versailles after various revolts and the capitulation of Germany. The peace treaty was signed in Versailles?, the same place where the [Second Reich]? had been founded some 40 years before. The Kaiser was forced to resign, Germany lost some territories to France and other nations and after revolts from socialists and communists (like the Spartacus uprisings), the [Weimar Republic]? was formed.

After some successful years, the Great Depression came and Germans? were still suffering from punitive damages resulting from the Treaty of Versailles. Adolf Hitler and his [National Socialist German Worker's Party]? (NSDAP) (see National Socialism) capitalized on this and on the growing unemployment. They even claimed that the first World War was lost beacause of treason from within (the so-called "Dolchstosslegende"), combined with a harsh racism and antisemitism?, he managed to become chancellor in 1933, with the help of monarchist?s and conservative?s like President Hindenburg?. In six years, he prepared the country (see Nazi Germany) for war and enforced many discriminating laws against Jews and those that weren't of German origin. In 1939, he declared war on Poland, after he claimed German forces had been attacked (the attack was forged by German SS men). Six years later he and his partners, the so-called Axis? powers (Italy, Germany, Japan) were defeated by Allied? forces (United States, France, Great Britain and the Soviet Union), and half of Europe lay in ruins, millions of people had been killed, the majority of them civilian?s, like the six million Jews killed in concentration camps and the countless millions of Russians in conquered territories.

At the [Potsdam Conference]? 1945, after the loss of World War II, the Allies divided the soon-to-be-defeated Germany into four military occupation zones-French in the southwest, British in the northwest, American in the south, and Soviet in the east. Berlin, which lay in the Soviet sector, was also divided into four zones. As part of the ColdWar the zones developed 1949 in the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland, aka West Germany) and the [German Democratic Republic]? ([Deutsche Demokratische Republik]?, aka East Germany). West Germany was allied with the United States of America, the UK and France. It was a western capitalist country with a so called Social Market Economy. East Germany was at first occupied and later allied with and controlled by the Soviet Union. It was a totalitarian country (for example, its citizens were generally unable to leave) with a USSR-style communist economy. East Germany was probably the richest, most advanced country in the Soviet bloc. Berlin also was divided in four sectors (French, British, American, Soviet), whereas western zones formed West Berlin and the Soviet sector became "Berlin, capital of the DDR" (aka East Berlin). West-Berlin was surrounded by the Berlin Wall from August, 13th 1961 until 1989.

In 1989 the people of East Germany demanded a political change. Therefore the political leaders were constrained to open the borders again (which happend in a confused and unexpected act). As most of the East-Germans wanted a reunification and then chancelor H. Kohl of West Germany saw this as his "life task", in 1990 the two Germanies were reunified. In fact it meant that East Germany was annexed by West Germany, as the new country kept the name Bundesrepublik Deutschland, used the West German "Deutsche Mark" for currency, and the capital remained at Bonn for the time being. Around 1994 it was moved back to Berlin, where it had been before World War II. Now the main administrative bodies are situated in Berlin.

Today Germany is doing fairly well economically, being the world's third-largest economy (behind the USA and Japan). It's among the top 5 countries in Internet access worldwide. Many Germans speak English and/or French, in addition to High German and their local dialect of German (of which there are many).

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Last edited August 7, 2001 2:58 am (diff)
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