German History Exam 1

Germany’s First Reich (Holy Roman Empire, 800-1806)

founded by Karl the Great in 800, when he was crowned emperor by the pope

Ended in 1806 when Napoleon dissolved it

Germany’s Second Reich (1871-1918)

established in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian War, unifying Germany under Otto von

Bismarck and Kaiser Wilhelm I (relied on Bismarck).

● It was an empire with a constitutional monarchy

● Ended in 1918 with Germany’s defeat in World War I and the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

(Dismissed Bismarck)

○ Wilhelm I and Wilhelm II were both in the second reich, Wilhelm I ruled during the

Franco-Prussian war, and Wilhelm II ruled primarily during WW1

Germany’s Third Reich (Nazi Germany, 1933-1945)

● Led by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party, responsible for WW2 and the Holocaust

● A totalitarian dictatorship replacing the Democratic Weimar Republic

● Totalitarian Dictatorship: one person or small group has total control over basically

everything, no freedoms, and government uses violence and the spread of misleading

info to gain control

● Ended in 1945 Germany’s defeat in World War II

Karl the Great (Charlemagne, 747-814)

● King of the Franks, crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800

● Franks: group of Germanic tribes that became dominant in Western and Central

Europe

● Promoted education, law, and Christianity across Europe

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

● Led the Protestant Reformation in Germany

● Protestant Reformation: A movement challenging the Catholic Church’s authority,

leading to the creation of Protestant Christianity.

● Luther translated Bible into German

● Argued that faith alone was enough for salvation

● Opposed Catholic Church practices, especially the sale of Indulgences

● Indulgences: document sold by the Catholic Church that claimed to reduce the

punishment for sins. “If you buy indulgences, your dead relatives could spend less

time in the place between heaven and hell — Purgatory"

● Wrote the 95 Theses in 1517and sparked widespread religious reform across Europe, leading to the establishment of various Protestant denominations.

Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898)

● The chancellor of Germany, responsible for German unification

● Introduced social welfare programs to undermine socialist movements

● Dismissed by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1890

Frederick the Great (1712-1786)

● king of Prussia (1740-1786), known for military genius and administrative reforms

● Modernized Prussia, expanded its territory (especially during the 7-years war), promoted

education and religious tolerance

Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859-1941)

● Last German Emperor (1888-1918).

● Aggressive foreign policy, leading to tensions that contributed to WWI.

● Dismissed Bismarck, weakening German diplomacy.

● Resigned in 1918 after Germany lost WWI.

Paul Von Hindenburg (1847-1934)

● WWI general and later President of the Weimar Republic.

● Appointed Hitler as Chancellor in 1933, believing he could control him

Adolf Hitler (1889-1945)

● Leader of the Nazi Party, Chancellor of Germany (1933-1945)

● Responsible for WW2 and the Holocaust (where 6 million Jews and millions of others were

murdered)

● Established the totalitarian dictatorship and led Germany into WW2 (1939-1945)

● Promoted:

1. Anti-Semitism: Hatred/Discrimination against Jews

2. Aryan Supremacy: racist ideology claiming Northern Europeans were superior

3. Militarism: building up the military and using it aggressively

● Committed suicide in 1945 as Germany faced defeat in WW2

The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648)

● Fought in Germany (mainly), initially between Catholics and Protestants

● Later involved major EU powers, devastating German territories

● Ended with Peace of Westphalia, which established state sovereignty

● Peace of Westphalia: a series of treaties that ended the 30 years war, one of the most

important diplomatic agreements in European history

● State Sovereignty: states could govern themselves without interference, or without

being controlled by another country or higher authority, this idea became the

foundation for modern international law, still important today

Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)

● between Prussia (Germany) and France (engineered by Otto von Bismarck)

● Victory for Bismarck’s Germany, leading to German unification in 1871

● France suffered a humiliating defeat and lost Alsace Lorraine, fueling future tensions

● Alsace Lorraine: A territory on the border between France and Germany, when Prussia

defeated France (Franco-Prussian War), this territory was apart of the newly unified

German Empire. Created tension that contributed to WW1. Later, the Treaty of

Versailles returned this territory to France, changed hands again during Nazi germany,

was then returned to France permanently in 1945.

The Wars of Unification (1864-1871)

● Series of wars led by Otto von Bismarck to unify Germany under Prussian leadership.

1. Danish War (1864): Prussia and Austria defeated Denmark and gained Schleswig and

Holstein.

2. Austro-Prussian War (1866): Prussia defeated Austria, solidifying its dominance.

3. Franco-Prussian War (1870-71): Prussia defeated France, finalizing German unification.

Prussia

● A Powerful German Kingdom, leading to German unification in 1871

● Known for strong military and efficient administration

● Dominated by leaders like Frederick the Great and Otto von Bismarck

The German “Problem”

● Germany’s size and location made it a geopolitical challenge.

● Germany was basically “too big” for Europe, and “too small” to rule the world 🙁

1848 Crisis

● A series of liberal and nationalist uprisings across Europe, including Germany.

● German revolutionaries demanded national unity, democracy, and constitutional rights.

● The movement failed due to conservative resistance, but it influenced later unification

efforts.

The German “Solutions” (large, small)

● Großdeutschland ("Greater Germany"): A proposed unification that would include Austria.

● Kleindeutschland ("Lesser Germany"): A plan for German unification excluding Austria (which

was ultimately chosen).

● Allies Solutions: Resocialization and Denazification, Reduce country in size. Divide

it..Pastoralization...

“Stab in the Back” Myth

● A false belief that Germany lost WWI due to betrayal by politicians and Jews, not military

defeat.

● Used by the Nazis to gain support and discredit the Weimar Republic.

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

● Peace treaty ending WWI; blamed Germany for the war.

● Imposed harsh penalties: territorial losses, military restrictions, and huge reparations.

● Created resentment, fueling Hitler's rise.

Hyperinflation (1921-1923)

● Germany printed excessive money to pay war debts, causing extreme inflation.

● Prices skyrocketed, and money became worthless.

● Weakened faith in democracy and helped extremists like Hitler gain support.

Weimar Republic (1919-1933)

● Germany's first democratic government after WWI.

● Faced economic crises, political instability, and opposition from both left and right.

● Collapsed when Hitler took power in 1933.

● Weimar “arrangements” resulted in WW2 and all of its horrors

Mein Kampf (“My Struggle”)

● Hitler’s autobiography, outlining his ideology: anti-Semitism, expansionism, and dictatorship.

● Became the ideological foundation for Nazi policies.

The Reichstag Fire (1933)

● Fire at the German parliament, blamed on communists.

● Gave Hitler an excuse to pass the Reichstag Fire Decree, restricting freedoms and helping

him establish dictatorship.

Dachau Concentration Camp

● First Nazi concentration camp.

● Used to imprison political opponents, later expanded to Jews and others.

Kristallnacht (“Night of Broken Glass ”) (1938)

● Nationwide pogrom against Jews in Nazi Germany.

○ Pogrom: violent, organized attack: thousands of Jews were arrested and sent to

concentration camps, many Jewish homes and businesses were destroyed.

● Thousands of Jewish businesses and synagogues were destroyed.

Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (1939)

● Nationwide pogrom against Jews in Nazi Germany.

○ Pogrom: violent, organized attack: thousands of Jews were arrested and sent to

concentration camps, many Jewish homes and businesses were destroyed.

● Thousands of Jewish businesses and synagogues were destroyed.

Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (1939)

● Non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.

● Secretly divided Eastern Europe between the two powers.

● Hitler later broke the pact by invading the USSR in 1941.

Berlin Blockade & Airlift (1948-1949)

● USSR blocked West Berlin, trying to force it into Soviet control

● Western allies airlifted supplies to keep the city running

● First major Cold War confrontation

Berlin Wall (1961-1989)

● Built by Eastern Germany to stop people from fleeing to the West

● Symbol of Cold War division

● Fell in 1989, leading to German reunification

Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) Electoral System:

Bundestag (federal parliament, lower house)

○ Committee system, similar to the U.S., can call for a constructive vote of no

confidence

○ ELECTS the CHANCELLOR

● Bundesrat (upper house)

○ Has 69 votes from the states

○ Represents German states, must approve certain laws

LEGISLATIVE PROCESS:

● Chancellor/cabinet: introduces legislation

● Sent to Bundesrat (presentation), has 6 weeks for commenting/reviewing

○ Most bills sent here ~ bills that affect finances and administration in the states

● Chancellor sends to Bundestag

○ Debates and votes (3 readings usually)

● Final approval by Bundesrat if required

JUDICIAL BRANCH:

● Two chambers: 8 Justices each

● 12-year terms

● 1⁄2 by Bundestag, 1⁄2 by Bundesrat

● Individuals & government can go directly to the court

● The Federal Constitutional Court ensures laws comply with the German Constitution.

● Can ban political parties and rule on constitutional issues.

GERMANY: BASIC CHARACTERISTICS

● POPULATION: around 84 million people, has a declining fertility rate (1.58)

● SIZE/TERRITORY: 139,000 sq. miles (ish), can be compared to Montana, or just shy of MN + WI

● ETHNIC MAKEUP: 85% German (majority), others: Turkish, Ukrainian, Syrian, Polish, Romanian,

and others...

● RELIGION:

1. Catholic: 24.8% (South)

2. Protestant: 22.6% (North)

3. Muslim: 3.7%

4. NO RELIGION: 43.8%

5. Other: 5.1%

*** Why does the majority have no religion?

→ Long story short: Germany was divided...Communism...”Religion and Church bad”, also TAXES...