germany

Fragmentation

The state of being divided into smaller parts; Germany was fragmented into multiple states from 1200 to 1871.

Prussia

The largest and most dominant state in Germany before its unification.

Treaty of Westphalia

The treaty that ended the Thirty Years' War, affirming the permanence of Protestantism in Europe.

Martin Luther

A German monk who initiated the Protestant Reformation by nailing the 95 Theses to the Wittenberg cathedral in 1519.

95 Theses

A list of grievances against the Catholic Church aiming to reform its corrupt practices.

Blood and Iron

A strategy used by Otto von Bismarck to unify German states through military force.

Schlieffen Plan

Germany's military plan for a two-front war, aiming for a quick victory over France before turning to Russia.

Treaty of Versailles

The treaty that ended World War I, imposing heavy reparations and territorial losses on Germany.

Hyperinflation

An extremely rapid or out of control inflation often leading to a collapse of currency value, experienced in Germany in the early 1920s.

Lebensraum

The Nazi policy aimed at providing living space for the German population through territorial expansion.

Kristallnacht

A night in 1938 known as the 'Night of Broken Glass,' where Nazi forces attacked Jewish businesses and synagogues.

Nuremberg Laws

1935 laws that institutionalized racial discrimination against Jews in Nazi Germany, stripping them of citizenship.

Blitzkrieg

A fast and powerful military strategy used by Germany in WWII, focusing on quick, surprise attacks.

Final Solution

The Nazi plan for the systematic extermination of the Jewish people, initiated in 1942.

Cold War

The period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States after WWII, affecting Germany significantly.

Berlin Wall

A barrier constructed by East Germany in 1961 to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Berlin, symbolizing Cold War divisions.