History UsefulNotes / Germany

** UsefulNotes/BerlinWall

* UsefulNotes/WeimarRepublic (1918 - [[ThoseWackyNazis 1933]])

** UsefulNotes/NazisWithGnarlyWeapons (Wehrmacht)

** UsefulNotes/OssisWithOsas (East German People's Army)
** UsefulNotes/TheStasi

->Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
->Über alles in der Welt,
->Wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze
->Brüderlich zusammenhält.
->Von der Maas bis an die Memel,
->Von der Etsch bis an den Belt,

->Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
->Über alles in der Welt!
->Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
->Über alles in der Welt

->Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
->Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang
->Sollen in der Welt behalten
->Ihren alten schönen Klang,
->Uns zu edler Tat begeistern
->Unser ganzes Leben lang –

->Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
->Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang!
->Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
->Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang!

->Germany, Germany above all
->Above everything in the world
->When, always, for protection and defense
->Brothers stand together.
->From the Maas to the Memel
->From the Etsch to the Belt,

->Germany, Germany above all
->Above all in the world.
->Germany, Germany above all
->Above all in the world.

->German women, German fidelity,
->German wine and German song,
->Shall retain, throughout the world,
->Their old respected fame,
->To inspire us to noble deeds
->For the length of our lives.

->German women, German fidelity,
->German wine and German song.
->German women, German fidelity,
->German wine and German song.

The ''Deutschlandlied'' was originally written in 1841, to an older melody composed in 1797, long before unification. It was meant to foster a sense of nationalist unity, hence the (in)famous opening line "Deutschland, Deutschland, über alles[[note]]the original intent was something like "Germans, your primary loyalty should be to Germany as a whole rather than to your local city/state"[[/note]]." The Nazis misused the first stanza (shown above), combined with the party's "Horst-Wessel-Lied," as the national anthem. Because of that and the nationalistic connotations associated with the first stanza, only the third stanza became the anthem of West Germany, and later the reunified Germany.

The ''Deutschlandlied'' was originally written in 1841, to an older melody composed in 1797, long before unification. It was meant to foster a sense of nationalist unity, hence the (in)famous opening line "Deutschland, Deutschland, über alles[[note]]the original intent was something like "Germans, your primary loyalty should be to Germany as a whole rather than to your local city/state"[[/note]]." The Nazis misused the first stanza, combined with the party's "Horst-Wessel-Lied," as the national anthem. Because of that and the nationalistic connotations associated with the first stanza, only the third stanza became the anthem of West Germany, and later the reunified Germany.

Germany ('''German:''' ''Deutschland''), officially known as the Federal Republic of Germany ('''German:''' ''Bundesrepublik Deutschland''), is a federal republic in Central/Western Europe. Modern-day Germany is a major economic power, a member of UsefulNotes/TheEuropeanUnion, [[UsefulNotes/GroupOfEight G8]] and the UsefulNotes/{{NATO}}, and the most developed and richest economy of Europe, with the second largest population in Europe (after UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}) and largest in Central and Western Europe.

Germany ('''German:''' ''Deutschland''), officially known as the Federal Republic of Germany ('''German:''' ''Bundesrepublik Deutschland''), is a federal republic in Central/Western Europe. Modern-day Germany is a major economic power, a member of UsefulNotes/TheEuropeanUnion, [[UsefulNotes/GroupOfEight G8]] and the UsefulNotes/{{NATO}}, and the most developed and richest economy of Europe, with the second largest population in Europe (after UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}).

->Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
->Über alles in der Welt,
->Wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze
->Brüderlich zusammenhält.
->Von der Maas bis an die Memel,
->Von der Etsch bis an den Belt,

->Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
->Über alles in der Welt!
->Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
->Über alles in der Welt!

->Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
->Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang
->Sollen in der Welt behalten
->Ihren alten schönen Klang,
->Uns zu edler Tat begeistern
->Unser ganzes Leben lang –

->Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
->Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang!
->Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
->Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang!

->Germany, Germany above all,
->Above all in the world,
->When, for protection and defense,
->It always stands brotherly together.
->From the Meuse to the Memel,
->From the Adige to the Belt,

->Germany, Germany above all,
->Above all in the world!
->Germany, Germany above all,
->Above all in the world!

->German women, German loyalty,
->German wine and German song,
->Shall retain in the world
->Their old beautiful chime
->And inspire us to noble deeds
->During all of our life.

->German women, German loyalty,
->German wine and German song!
->German women, German loyalty,
->German wine and German song!

The ''Deutschlandlied'' was originally written in 1797, long before unification. It was used to foster a sense of nationalist unity, especially with its opening line "Deutschland, Deutschland, über alles[[note]]the original intent was something like "Germans, your primary loyalty should be to Germany as a whole rather than to your local city/state"[[/note]]." The Nazis misused the first stanza, combined with the party's "Horst-Wessel-Lied," as the national anthem. Because of the nationalistic connotations associated with the first stanza, and the references to Oktoberfest in the second, only the third stanza became the anthem of West Germany, and later the reunified Germany.

* '''Highest point:''' Zugspitze (2962 m/9,718 ft) (77th)

** UsefulNotes/WestGermany (The Bonn Republic) (May 1949 - [[TheGreatPoliticsMessUp October 1990]])
** UsefulNotes/EastGermany (German Democratic Republic) (October 1949 - [[TheGreatPoliticsMessUp October 1990]])

** Chancellor: Angela Merkel
** Vice Chancellor: Olaf Scholz

The late 17th and early 18th Century is seen as the Golden Age, where Germans contributed heavily to UsefulNotes/TheEnlightenment, and became known as ''The Land of [[UsefulNotes/DichterAndDenker Poets and Thinkers]]''. This was the age of Kant, Gauss, Leibniz, Goethe, Schiller, Lessing among others. German writers were among the European avant-garde, being the first to challenge Neoclassicism and playing a major role in making Creator/WilliamShakespeare a major European writer, as opposed to an English one. In this same time, Prussia under UsefulNotes/FrederickTheGreat became a major new power in the Continent, strengthened by the UsefulNotes/SevenYearsWar and playing a major part in the dissolution of the UsefulNotes/PolishLithuanianCommonwealth. UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution once again divided Germany. Jacobin clubs began forming in parts of Germany, with prominent voices advocating for revolution and democracy, and some such as Metz briefly became an independent republic supported by the French before being crushed. There was no mass support or grounds for the same at the time and the German Noble hierarchy, aided by French aristocratic emigres were firmly counter-revolutionary, which was reinforced by the recurring victories of the French Revolutionary Army. When UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte became emperor and war was breaking out, he pre-emptively invaded Austria and Germany, ending the Holy Roman Empire permanently and then more or less rewriting and reordering the boundaries of Germany. Thanks to his influence, the borders were radically restructured and of hundreds of states, only around forty were left. More important however was the impact of his reforms in Germany. He introduced meritocracy and administrative modernity, his Civil Code, and most crucially, the de-ghettoization of Jews. At the time, Jews, having been expelled previously from France, Spain, and only recently being allowed back in England, were most prominent in Central Europe (hence the AllJewsAreAshkenazi trope: Ashkenazis are Jews of Central Europe, whose language was Yiddish, formed by a mix of Hebrew and German). Under Napoleon, Jews were allowed equal rights, access to education, work and jobs[[note]]The fathers and ancestors of UsefulNotes/KarlMarx, UsefulNotes/SigmundFreud and UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein to name a few were all beneficiaries of Napoleon's reforms which should give you some idea of how momentous an event this was[[/note]]. However, Napoleon was also...well Napoleon. His rule over Germany did not always endear him, what his execution of publisher Joseph Philip Palm who published a pro-independence publication. Some Germans supported Napoleon while others didn't. The Prussian Army developed a fierce dislike for Napoleon and his supporters, and the military-aristocratic elite formed the core of anti-Napoleonic resistance. After Napoleon's invasion of Russia, he faced his major defeat at the Battle of Leipzig (which was the largest battle in Europe until World War I), with Germans on both sides.

* '''Highest point:''' Zugspitze (2962 m/9,718 ft) (72nd)

* '''Highest point:''' Zugspitze (2962 m/9,718 ft) (91st)

* '''Lowest points:''' Neuendorf-Sachsenbande (−4 m/−12 ft) (32nd)

* '''Country calling code:''' 49

->Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
->Über alles in der Welt,
->Wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze
->Brüderlich zusammenhält.
->Von der Maas bis an die Memel,
->Von der Etsch bis an den Belt,

->Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
->Über alles in der Welt!
->Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
->Über alles in der Welt!

->Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
->Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang
->Sollen in der Welt behalten
->Ihren alten schönen Klang,
->Uns zu edler Tat begeistern
->Unser ganzes Leben lang –

->Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
->Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang!
->Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
->Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang!

->Germany, Germany above all,
->Above all in the world,
->When, for protection and defense,
->It always stands brotherly together.
->From the Meuse to the Memel,
->From the Adige to the Belt,

->Germany, Germany above all,
->Above all in the world!
->Germany, Germany above all,
->Above all in the world!

->German women, German loyalty,
->German wine and German song,
->Shall retain in the world
->Their old beautiful chime
->And inspire us to noble deeds
->During all of our life.

->German women, German loyalty,
->German wine and German song!
->German women, German loyalty,
->German wine and German song!

The ''Deutschlandlied'' was originally written in 1797, long before unification. It was used to foster a sense of nationalist unity, especially with its opening line "Deutschland, Deutschland, über alles[[note]]the original intent was something like "Germans, your primary loyalty should be to Germany as a whole rather than to your local city/state"[[/note]]." The Nazis misused the first stanza, combined with the party's "Horst-Wessel-Lied," as the national anthem. Because of the nationalistic connotations associated with the first stanza, and the references to Oktoberfest in the second, only the third stanza became the anthem of West Germany, and later the reunified Germany. The anthem presented here are the full lyrics.

The ''Deutschlandlied'' was originally written in 1797, long before unification. It was used to foster a sense of nationalist unity, especially with its opening line "Deutschland, Deutschland, über alles[[note]]the original intent was something like "Germans, your primary loyalty should be to Germany as a whole rather than to your local city/state"[[/note]]." The Nazis misused the first stanza, combined with the party's "Horst-Wessel-Lied," as the national anthem. Because of the nationalistic connotations associated with the first stanza, and the references to Oktoberfest in the second, only the third stanza became the anthem of West Germany, and later the reunified Germany. The anthem present here are the full lyrics.

The ''Deutschlandlied'' was originally written in 1797, long before unification. It was used to foster a sense of nationalist unity, especially with its opening line "Deutschland, Deutschland, über alles[[note]]the original intent was something like "Germans, your primary loyalty should be to Germany as a whole rather than to your local city/state"[[/note]]." The Nazis used the first stanza, combined with the party's "Horst-Wessel-Lied," as the national anthem. Because of the nationalistic connotations associated with the first stanza, and the references to Oktoberfest in the second, only the third stanza became the anthem of West Germany, and later the reunified Germany.

* UsefulNotes/TheSixteenLandsOfDeutschland (The 16 German "states")

''In popular culture''
* Literature/{{Nibelungenlied}}
* Literature/ThePiedPiperOfHamelin
* The Adventures Of Baron Munchhausen
* Creator/TheBrothersGrimm collected numerous fairy tales and other German folktales. Some of them even take place in German cities, like Bremen in ''Literature/TheBremenTownMusicians''
* Literature/AlsoSprachZarathustra
* Literature/DoctorFaustus
* Literature/TheErlKing
* Literature/MaxAndMoritz
* Literature/DerStruwwelpeter
* Die Buchse Von Pandora
* Literature/{{Buddenbrooks}}
* Literature/VenusInFurs
* Film/DasTestamentdesDoktorMabuse
* Film/Die1000AugenDesDrMabuse
* Film/{{Nosferatu}}
* Film/{{Cabaret}}
* Literature/TheSpyWhoCameInFromTheCold
* Many World War I and II movies.
* The French comic book character Asterix visited the country in ''Recap/AsterixAndTheGoths''.
* Literature/BerlinAlexanderplatz
* Literature/TheTinDrum
* All Krautrock bands.
* In Series/FawltyTowers Basil is famously visited by some German tourists.
* Series/DieSendungMitDerMaus
* Series/CaptainBluebear
* Derrick: Hugely popular detective series.
* Series/{{Tatort}}
* Music/{{Berlin}} by Lou Reed
* Music/HeroesDavidBowieAlbum by David Bowie. The title track also takes place in Germany.
* ''Holiday in Berlin'' by The Sex Pistols
* Film/TheBoyInTheStripedPyjamas
* Film/ChristianeF
* Salon Kitty
* Film/DasBoot
* Film/GoodbyeLenin
* Film/RunLolaRun
* Film/DasExperiment
* Film/{{Munich}}
* Üter in ''The Simpsons'' is German.
* Ride/EuropaPark
* WesternAnimation/HappilyNEverAfter is a German movie.
* Literature/TheLostHonourOfKatharinaBlum

* '''ISO-3166-1 Code:''' DE

During TheMiddleAges, the Holy Roman Empire became involved in UsefulNotes/TheCrusades. Jews who had settled in the Rhineland became victims of the first pogroms in European history during the People's Crusade. A crusading order called UsefulNotes/TheTeutonicKnights played a major role in Christianizing the Baltic regions, eventually setting up shop in UsefulNotes/{{Prussia}}, the region of Germany that would become the most powerful domain of the HRE and eventually unify and modernize Germany. The Teutonic Knights [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostsiedlung also encouraged colonization and settlement]] across Eastern Europe. The Guelph-Ghillebine conflict between the Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire would weaken it in favour of the other Kingdoms, especially the French. Towards the end of UsefulNotes/TheRenaissance, Germany became the center of the Reformation, when Martin Luther aided by the Printing Press developed by Johannes Gutenburg, sparked a religious movement that led to the German Peasants War. The spread of Protestantism with its emphasis on work, literacy and a personal connection to God, led to the formation of the Protestant Ethic that led to the development of industry and capitalism. With the Reformation came the slow development of a standard UsefulNotes/GermanLanguage, but actual German unity was delayed on account of the religious divides and the violence of the UsefulNotes/ThirtyYearsWar, which proportionately is still considered the most destructive war in German history.

In the years after German defeat, there was effectively no German government. Germany was governed by military occupying forces by the British, Americans, Russians and the French. After Germany lost that war (which is nowadays treated as a liberation in the German public), it was occupied by the four Allies. The nascent UsefulNotes/ColdWar led to the establishment of two Germanies--the [[UsefulNotes/WestGermany FRG]] and the [[UsefulNotes/EastGermany GDR]]. [[note]]Almost three Germanies. The Saarland was set up as a French protectorate and may have either remained an independent nation or become a part of France. However, the people there really really didn't want that, voted against it, and rejoined Germany in 1957, an event referred to as Little Reunification.[[/note]] The UsefulNotes/ColdWar resulted in divisions between America and USSR and this was to Germany's benefit since the American bloc, saw an interest in rebuilding and aiding German post-war redevelopment and reconstruction to keep them the communists from coming to power, leading to the ''Wirtschaftswunder'' (Economic Miracle) under Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. Adenauer's government saw a great many former Nazis and war criminals released into civil life, and his administration promulgated the "Myth of the Clean Wehrmacht" i.e. that Hitler's crimes and ideology was the work of the Nazi Party and most ordinary Germans did not share in the ideology. Later historians, within Germany it must be said, have successfully debunked this. But it was comforting for people at the time. Adenauer to his credit, also made an effort to pay reparations to Holocaust survivors and invested heavily in Israel. A different situation happened in East Germany, which was mostly UsefulNotes/{{Prussia}}. The commies finally completed and achieved what liberals and early reformers failed to do. Via Bodenreform, they broke up the Junker manorial estates, demolishing many of them and distributed the land. The communists were far less willing to forgive war crimes committed in the east (which was more or less buried or ignored in the West during this time), and the Prussians were old enemies of Russia and many Junkers were active supporters of Nazism and Generalplan Ost[[note]]This includes even the Valkyrie Assassins, whose plan to assassinate Hitler and negotiate peace with Britain and America, was undertaken in the hope of escalating and extending the war in the East, and many of them had committed war crimes already in the Soviet territories[[/note]]. This land reform and redistribution remains upheld even in West Germany after unification despite several challenges and claims by descendants for compensation and recovery of property.[[note]]It was part of the agreement with the USSR in the Final Treaty that led to German Unification[[/note]]. However, for the USSR, East Germany proved to be too much trouble. It was far and away the land that was most developed before Communist takeover, and it would be the most developed Soviet Republic during the UsefulNotes/ColdWar but on account of that, it needed extra investment and maintenance, and subsidies to provide its citizens a lifestyle they were accustomed to, which became harder when West Germany was visibly near enough for them to see and compare with.

* '''Area:''' 357,022 sq km (137,847 sq mi) (63rd)

* UsefulNotes/AngloSaxons (Germany was one of their original homelands, along with Denmark)

* UsefulNotes/AngloSaxons (Germany was one of their original homelands along with Denmark)

* '''Area:''' 357,022 km (137,847 sq mi) (63rd)

** Vice Chancellor: Olaf Scholz