The Entire History of Germany

Listen to this episode from This Is History on Spotify. #germany #history #documentary Thanks to Storyblocks for sponsoring this video! Get 2 extra months free with annual plans for a limited-time only: https://storyblocks.com/ThisIsHistoryCHECK OUT OUR MAP STORE HERE: https://www.redbubble.com/people/MapStory/shopWATCH THIS AND ALL OUR VIDEOS COMPLETELY AD-FREE OVER ON OUR SUBSTACK: https://thisishistory.substack.com/?r=2zq5ao&utm_campaign=pub-share-checklistThe idea of Germany dates back to Julius Caesar, who called the lands east of the Rhine Germania. The Germanic victory at the Teutoburg Forest (AD 9) stopped Roman conquest, though Rome held provinces along the Rhine. After the Western Roman Empire fell, the Franks absorbed other Germanic tribes, and in 843 East Francia emerged, later becoming the Kingdom of Germany. Otto I was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 962, establishing medieval Germany.In the High Middle Ages, the Hanseatic League dominated northern trade, and the Teutonic Order created a crusader state in Prussia. Power struggles such as the Investiture Controversy weakened emperors while local rulers grew stronger. Martin Luther’s Reformation (1517) split Germany between Protestant north and Catholic south, leading to the devastating Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648). The Peace of Westphalia granted autonomy to major states like Austria and Prussia. Napoleon dissolved the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, replacing it with the Confederation of the Rhine, later succeeded by the Austrian-led German Confederation.Industrialization in the 19th century modernized the German economy, while Prussia rose to dominance. Under Bismarck, unification came in 1871 with the German Empire. By 1900, Germany was Europe’s leading power in industry, science, and culture, and began overseas colonisation. World War I ended in defeat, territorial losses, and the Weimar Republic, a fragile democracy.In 1933, Hitler’s Nazi regime seized power, remilitarized, and launched World War II. Germany was crushed in 1945, occupied, and divided into West and East during the Cold War. Reunification came in 1990, followed by close Franco-German cooperation in building the European Union. Germany adopted the euro in 1999 and remains one of Europe’s economic powerhouses.