The history of Germany in the 20th century is eventful. At the beginning of the century, it was an empire that existed by that time thirty years. After the end of World War I , new states appeared on the map of Europe, including the Weimar Republic. And in 1933, a man came to power, whose policy led to huge casualties and the erection of a wall that divided the country into two parts.
German Empire
1888 was the "year of the three emperors." After the death of William, Frederick III ascended the throne. He was ill, reigned only 99 days. He was succeeded by his son, who became the last German emperor. The reign of William II began during the years of economic and industrial growth, but he was not the wisest Kaiser, as evidenced by events in the history of Germany of the XX century.
The empire won the Franco-Prussian War, as a result of which Hesse and Baden were included in the North German Union. The military organization for the Germans in the 19th and 20th centuries was a measure of social progress. National pride was fueled by the rapid development of industry, the construction of railways and new buildings, the growth of cities and an increase in population. William II, unlike his predecessors, wanted not only to reign, but also to rule. He fired Bismarck, who made all the important decisions at the end of the 19th century.
An important event in the history of Germany in the 20th century is the November Revolution. But it happened in 1918. And four years before the overthrow of the monarchy, the country entered the First World War. By the way, Germany at the beginning of the 20th century had the best army in Europe.
World War I
On August 1, 1914, Germany declared war on Russia. The formal reason for the outbreak of hostilities was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Germany during the war supported Austria-Hungary and demanded that Russia stop mobilization.
In the ranks of the German army, there were more than 3.5 million people. According to Schlieffen’s plan, Germany was supposed to deliver a crushing blow to France, then direct the main forces against the Russian army. But everything happened differently. In the history of Germany of the 20th century - only defeat. The first country suffered in the war, which ended in 1918. The second - in 1945.
Why did Germany lose in World War I? Indeed, in terms of military training and armaments, she had no equal in Europe. The reason for the defeat is the superiority of the enemy. By the summer of 1918, after entering the US war, he reached a ratio of five to three.
October Revolution
The First World War led to a crisis of the Kaiser regime, and he, in turn, to a revolution. There were other reasons for overthrowing the old regime, namely, social tension, the frustration of economic life.
The country began hunger and unemployment. Moreover, the disunity of representatives of various social strata increased. This, by the way, is another reason for the defeat in the war. The Germans suffered hardships, but as long as they believed that their victims were needed for victory.
In October 1918, the German command sent its fleet to attack the British. This operation was obviously a failure, it was needed to obtain more favorable conditions for the world. Rumors spread among sailors about the real purpose of this military mission. They did not want to die senselessly, and therefore, on October 29, they rebelled.
By that time, several underground organizations already existed in Germany. One of them helped release the rebels from prison. In Kiel, the Sailor Council was created, the main requirement of which was the abdication of the Kaiser.
The mission tried to hide information about the rebellion from the population. But it was not so simple. Sailors traveled around the country and spread news about what was happening in Kiel. Across Germany, councils began to form: in enterprises, factories, and military units.
Revolutionary events unfolded in Germany for ten months. Only by August 11, 1919 the monarchy was finally overthrown.
Versailles world
The contract was signed on June 28, 1919 and became the official end of the First World War. Germany was defeated and returned to France Alsace-Lorraine, Belgium - the county of Eilen-Malmedy. She also had to abandon the Polish Poznan, part of Pomerania and some regions of West Prussia.
Golden Twenties
In 1919, the Weimar Revolution was formed, which lasted until 1933. The Golden Twenties is a favorable period in the history of Germany in the 20th century. But it lasted only five years - from 1924 to 1929. During these years, the Weimar Republic achieved relative stability.
The defeat in the war brought the country epidemics, hunger, unemployment, and decline in health care. The introduction of the rental brand has stopped inflation. Economic reforms have been carried out. The country has achieved international recognition.
By the mid-twenties, the quality of life of the Germans had improved significantly. Painting, literature and cinema developed rapidly. In the second half of the twenties, the first films with Marlene Dietrich appeared on the screen, which later became world classics.
Hitler's rise to power
In Germany, until 1933, there were several parties. Over the course of several years, the NSDG gathered more votes. In December 1918, the Communist Party of Germany was formed. She advocated a system of workers' councils. Its main method was the organization of demonstrations, strikes and, ultimately, uprisings.
The Communist Party of Germany brought together a relatively small number of representatives of the working class. Nevertheless, riots began in the country, which for a while subsided only in the so-called Golden Twenties. In 1933, an event occurred that had terrible consequences for Germany - Hitler's rise to power. On January 30, he was appointed Reich Chancellor of the Weimar Republic.
Wilhelm Frick and Hermann Goering immediately entered Hitler’s office. On February 1, the Reichstag was dissolved. On the same day, Adolf Hitler addressed the German people, and this speech went down in history.
Third Reich
In 1933, the Communist Party was banned. Persecution began against its representatives. The Communists teamed up with the Social Democrats and launched an underground struggle against the Social-Nationalists who had established themselves in power. Many of them eventually ended up in concentration camps.
Representatives of the intelligentsia left Germany, among them was Erich Maria Remarque, Marlene Dietrich and other famous personalities. It is noteworthy that many members of the banned parties hastily sided with the Nazis. In 1929, the global crisis began, which hit the United States and Germany especially hard.
Hitler did not establish diplomatic relations with Russia. Britain and France were wary of Germany. But Hitler's policy was not aimed at establishing diplomatic relations with large European countries, but at improving the economic situation in his state. Addressing the German people, he promised to rid him of unemployment. He kept his promise, thereby increasing his popularity.
Under Adolf Hitler, Germany took first place in Europe in the production of aluminum and steel. New factories opened, the Germans no longer suffered from a lack of jobs. But an important part of the policy of the Fuhrer, as is known, was the extermination of Jews. November 9, 1938 is a date that went down in history under the name "Crystal Night". There was a pogrom, after which the mass extermination of Jews began.
Preparation for war
Soviet Russia and Germany entered into an agreement on the restoration of diplomatic relations in 1922. In the mid-twenties, an aviation center was organized in Lipetsk , in which German instructors conducted the training. And near Kazan since 1929, the organization for training tank commanders operated according to the same pattern. With the advent of Hitler, these centers were closed.
Since 1933, rearmament began. Germany from now on even in peacetime was guided by war. Imports in the 30s were reduced to a minimum. In Germany, huge factories appeared that did not produce products for peaceful purposes.
The terms of the Treaty of Versailles extremely limited the country in the military sphere. Germany, after Hitler came to power, increasingly began to violate them. So, in the country there was a rapid production of military equipment.
The beginning of World War II
In 1934, Nazi Germany entered into a non-aggression pact with Poland. In 1938, there was unhindered accession of Austria, which increased Hitler's popularity among the German population. The territory of Germany expanded, but this was not enough for the Fuhrer.
Hitler realized that there could be no quick victory in England and France. At a meeting held in his office on May 23, a decision was made to expand "living space in the East." On August 23, the Soviet Union and Germany concluded a non-aggression pact, which Hitler violated in 1941.
The German armed forces crossed the Polish borders on September 1, 1939 . In just two weeks, the government of the state, which would soon be under occupation, fled to Romania, leaving its citizens to be torn to pieces by the Nazis. On September 28, Nazi troops occupied Warsaw.
Invasion of the USSR
Hitler ordered him to begin preparations for the attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941. A secret plan has been developed, which is known as Operation Barbarossa. Germany, with the support of the Allies, attacked the USSR without warning. Until November 1942, the Red Army was retreating. The turning point was the Battle of Stalingrad, in which, as Soviet historians often liked to repeat, fewer German officers died than during the capture of Paris. At the same time, they forgot to note that the French capital surrendered without a fight. Great Britain entered the war in September 1939. The United States - in December 1941.
Victory over Nazi Germany
Historians divide the Second World War into five periods. The last, shortest, begins in May 1945 and ends in September of that year. But by then the act of unconditional surrender of Germany had already been signed. Among the opponents of the anti-fascist coalition, only Japan remained, which surrendered after the Americans dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
As for Germany, Soviet troops entered its capital in May 1945. Victory Day over the fascist state - May 8, 1945. Two weeks later, Hitler’s associates were arrested. He himself committed suicide a week before the signing of the act of unconditional surrender of Germany.
The mystery of the death of the Fuhrer
The circumstances of Hitler's death are known thanks to the testimony of witnesses, that is, the attendants. Hitler ordered several cans of gasoline to be taken to the garage. It was April 30, after he said goodbye to his associates. Together with Eva Brown, Hitler retired to the apartment. From there a few minutes later a shot rang out.
The adjutant and the Fuhrer’s valet wrapped his body in a soldier’s blanket and carried him to the garden. After that, they brought the dead Eve Brown, who was found in Hitler’s apartments without visible external damage. The bodies were set on fire.
The remains were discovered on May 5, 1945 by SMERSH officers. General Telegin led the identification commission. The assistant doctor of the Führer was involved in this event. She confirmed the similarity of prostheses with Hitler's prostheses. True, after returning from the Soviet camp, she unexpectedly abandoned her previous testimonies.
The bodies of Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun were buried in the territory of the NKVD base, located in Magdeburg. There is a legend that in 1945, in the bunker, the Suedeans discovered the remains of the twin of the Fuhrer and his wife. Hitler himself, along with Eva Brown, allegedly left Germany and lived in Argentina for the last years. This version is also confirmed by some professional historians.
Berlin Wall
After the war ended, the victors divided the territory of Germany into four occupation zones: Soviet, British, American and French. "Political quarantine" has been declared. That is, not a single party existed throughout Germany.
In 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Democratic Republic of Germany were formed. After 12 years, Berlin divided into two parts a wall with a length of 155 km.
In the mid-80s, the so-called perestroika began in the Soviet Union. It led not only to changes within the state, but also to changes in foreign policy. In 1989, an event occurred that happened largely thanks to the policy of Mikhail Gorbachev, the unification of Germany. The Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic from now on were not separated by a huge concrete structure. The Berlin Wall has fallen. Gone in the history of Germany and the GDR. The German government at the end of the 20th century was headed by Gerhard Schroeder.