¦


m Germany was ruled under Æ
 who were emperors

around the 1800s

m Germany was created on January 18th 1871 when Otto

von Bismarck unified 25 independent German states
into a single state thus creating the 6 
©

m Àrior to the existence of the 39 states, there were over

1000 entities which made up the 3

 


m Bismarck¶s involvement in three different wars led to

the belief among the German people that they needed a
strong, united nation©
m ndustrial economy had become the strongest in Europe employing
60% of the working population

m Trade Unionism expanded rapidly ± led to the social Democrats

(SÀD) becoming the biggest political party by 1912©

m Germany wanted to become a world power (Weltmacht) and

attempted to do so through its µworld policy¶ ± Weltpolitik through

m Colonial expansion & Creation of a strong German navy

m Between 1870 and 1910, Germany¶s population rose from 40©9
million to 65 million©

m Germany experienced a massive increase in ship production and

trade; new industries such as chemicals and electronics

m Great increases in standards of living during this period too©

m ¦n ¦rchduke was murdered which triggered First World War

m Europe µfell¶ into the most destructive war it had ever seen©

m t left 20 million people dead and Europe in tatters©

m Germany surrendered & Treaty of Versailles was signed

m The humiliating peace terms provoked bitter indignation throughout
Germany, and seriously weakened the new democratic regime

m n 1932, Hitler won presidential election and proved his supremacy

over Germany

m Hitler's National Socialists (Nazis) took control at local levels,

outlawing trade unions and other political parties and set in motion
the persecution of Jews, homosexuals and other 'non-¦ryansµ©





m n 1939 German ¦rmy invaded Àoland, dragging both Britain and

France into G 
G ©

m Hitler's decision to invade Russia in 1941 and the Japanese attack

on the US at Àearl Harbor is the beginning of the end for Nazi
aggression

m ¦fter heavy war, Germany surrendered to the ¦


 unconditionally

m For nearly a half century after WW, Germany was divided into 2
separate countries, East Germany and West Germany© They were
divided by a wall that went right through the city of Berlin, called
the Berlin Wall© The two sides were reunified in 1990©