World War II | Facts, Summary, History, Dates, Combatants, & Causes
World War II began in Europe on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. Great Britain and France responded by declaring war on Germany ...
German
By the early part of 1939 the <anchor>German</anchor> dictator Adolf Hitler had become determined to invade and occupy Poland. Poland, for its part, had guarantees of French and British military support should it be attacked by Germany. Hitler intended to invade Poland anyway, but first he had to neutralize the possibility that the Soviet Union would resist the invasion of its western neighbour. Secret negotiations led on August 23–24 to the signing of the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact in Moscow. In a secret protocol of this pact, the Germans and the Soviets agreed that Poland should be divided between them, with the western third of the country going to Germany and the eastern two-thirds being taken over by the U.S.S.R.
Germany | Facts, Geography, Maps, & History | Britannica
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[Germany](https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany)

Table of Contents


- [Introduction & Quick Facts](/place/Germany)

- [Land](/place/Germany/Land)



- [Relief](/place/Germany/Relief)

  - [The Central German Uplands](/place/Germany/Relief#ref57986)

    - [Southern Germany](/place/Germany/Relief#ref57987)

    - [The barrier arc](/place/Germany/Relief#ref57988)

    - [The northern fringe of the Central German Uplands](/place/Germany/Relief#ref57989)

  - [The North German Plain](/place/Germany/The-North-German-Plain)

  - [The coasts](/place/Germany/The-North-German-Plain#ref57991)

  - [The Alps and the Alpine Foreland](/place/Germany/The-North-German-Plain#ref57992)

- [Drainage](/place/Germany/Drainage)

- [Soils](/place/Germany/Soils)

- [Climate](/place/Germany/Climate)

- [Plant and animal life](/place/Germany/Plant-and-animal-life)

  - [Plants](/place/Germany/Plant-and-animal-life#ref57998)

  - [Animals](/place/Germany/Plant-and-animal-life#ref57999)

- [People](/place/Germany/People)



- [Ethnic groups](/place/Germany/Ethnic-groups)

- [Languages](/place/Germany/Languages)

- [Religion](/place/Germany/Religion)

- [Settlement patterns](/place/Germany/Settlement-patterns)

  - [Rural settlement](/place/Germany/Settlement-patterns#ref233613)

  - [Urban settlement](/place/Germany/Settlement-patterns#ref233614)

- [Demographic trends](/place/Germany/Demographic-trends)

  - [Migration](/place/Germany/Demographic-trends#ref58008)

  - [Population structure](/place/Germany/Population-structure)

  - [Population distribution](/place/Germany/Population-structure#ref58010)

- [Economy](/place/Germany/Economy)



- [Modern economic history: from partition to reunification](/place/Germany/Modern-economic-history-from-partition-to-reunification)

  - [The West German system](/place/Germany/Modern-economic-history-from-partition-to-reunification#ref233609)

  - [The East German system](/place/Germany/The-East-German-system)

  - [Economic unification and beyond](/place/Germany/Economic-unification-and-beyond)

- [Agriculture, forestry, and fishing](/place/Germany/Agriculture-forestry-and-fishing)

  - [Agriculture](/place/Germany/Agriculture-forestry-and-fishing#ref58020)

  - [Forestry](/place/Germany/Agriculture-forestry-and-fishing#ref58021)

  - [Fishing](/place/Germany/Agriculture-forestry-and-fishing#ref58022)

- [Resources and power](/place/Germany/Resources-and-power)

- [Manufacturing](/place/Germany/Manufacturing)

- [Finance](/place/Germany/Finance)

  - [The central banking system](/place/Germany/Finance#ref58029)

  - [The private banking sector](/place/Germany/Finance#ref58030)

  - [Public and cooperative institutions](/place/Germany/Finance#ref58031)

- [Trade](/place/Germany/Finance#ref58032)

- [Services](/place/Germany/Services)

- [Labour and taxation](/place/Germany/Labour-and-taxation)

- [Transportation and telecommunications](/place/Germany/Transportation-and-telecommunications)

  - [Waterways](/place/Germany/Transportation-and-telecommunications#ref58034)

  - [Seaports](/place/Germany/Transportation-and-telecommunications#ref58035)

  - [Railways](/place/Germany/Transportation-and-telecommunications#ref58036)

  - [Highways](/place/Germany/Highways)

  - [Air transport](/place/Germany/Highways#ref58038)

  - [Telecommunications](/place/Germany/Highways#ref58039)

- [Government and society](/place/Germany/Government-and-society)



- [Constitutional framework](/place/Germany/Government-and-society#ref233600)

- [Regional and local government](/place/Germany/Government-and-society#ref58041)

- [Justice](/place/Germany/Justice)

- [Political process](/place/Germany/Political-process)

  - [The electorate](/place/Germany/Political-process#ref58048)

  - [Political parties](/place/Germany/Political-parties)

    - [The Christian Democratic parties](/place/Germany/Political-parties#ref233601)

    - [The Social Democrats](/place/Germany/Political-parties#ref233602)

    - [The Free Democrats](/place/Germany/Political-parties#ref233603)

    - [The Greens](/place/Germany/The-Greens)

    - [The Left Party](/place/Germany/The-Greens#ref233605)

    - [Fringe parties](/place/Germany/The-Greens#ref233606)

- [Security](/place/Germany/Security)

- [Health and welfare](/place/Germany/Health-and-welfare)

  - [Insurance and services](/place/Germany/Health-and-welfare#ref58057)

  - [Additional benefits](/place/Germany/Health-and-welfare#ref58058)

  - [War reparations](/place/Germany/Health-and-welfare#ref58059)

  - [Standards of living](/place/Germany/Health-and-welfare#ref233607)

- [Housing](/place/Germany/Housing)

- [Education](/place/Germany/Education)

  - [Preschool, elementary, and secondary](/place/Germany/Education#ref58053)

  - [Higher education](/place/Germany/Education#ref58054)

  - [Problems of transition](/place/Germany/Education#ref58055)

- [Cultural life](/place/Germany/Cultural-life)



- [Cultural milieu](/place/Germany/Cultural-life#ref58065)

- [Daily life and social customs](/place/Germany/Daily-life-and-social-customs)

- [The arts](/place/Germany/The-arts)

  - [Government and audience support](/place/Germany/The-arts#ref58067)

  - [Literature and theatre](/place/Germany/Literature-and-theatre)

  - [Music and dance](/place/Germany/Music-and-dance)

  - [The visual arts](/place/Germany/The-visual-arts)

  - [Architecture](/place/Germany/Architecture)

  - [Film](/place/Germany/Film)

  - [Arts festivals](/place/Germany/Film#ref58073)

- [Cultural institutions](/place/Germany/Cultural-institutions)

  - [Museums and galleries](/place/Germany/Cultural-institutions#ref58079)

  - [Libraries](/place/Germany/Cultural-institutions#ref58080)

- [Sports and recreation](/place/Germany/Sports-and-recreation)

  - [Sporting culture](/place/Germany/Sports-and-recreation#ref233615)

  - [Leisure activities](/place/Germany/Sports-and-recreation#ref233616)

- [Media and publishing](/place/Germany/Media-and-publishing)

  - [Broadcasting](/place/Germany/Media-and-publishing#ref58076)

  - [The press](/place/Germany/Media-and-publishing#ref58075)

  - [Publishing](/place/Germany/Media-and-publishing#ref58074)

- [History](/place/Germany/History)



- [Ancient history](/place/Germany/History#ref58082)

  - [Coexistence with Rome to ad 350](/place/Germany/Coexistence-with-Rome-to-ad-350)

  - [The migration period](/place/Germany/The-migration-period)

- [Merovingians and Carolingians](/place/Germany/Merovingians-and-Carolingians)

  - [Merovingian Germany](/place/Germany/Merovingians-and-Carolingians#ref58086)

  - [The rise of the Carolingians and Boniface](/place/Germany/The-rise-of-the-Carolingians-and-Boniface)

  - [Charlemagne](/place/Germany/Charlemagne)

  - [The emergence of Germany](/place/Germany/The-emergence-of-Germany)

    - [The kingdom of Louis the German](/place/Germany/The-emergence-of-Germany#ref58090)

    - [Rise of the duchies](/place/Germany/The-emergence-of-Germany#ref58091)

- [Germany from 911 to 1250](/place/Germany/Germany-from-911-to-1250)

  - [The 10th and 11th centuries](/place/Germany/Germany-from-911-to-1250#ref58093)

    - [Conrad I](/place/Germany/Germany-from-911-to-1250#ref58094)

    - [The accession of the Saxons](/place/Germany/The-accession-of-the-Saxons)

    - [The eastern policy of the Saxons](/place/Germany/The-eastern-policy-of-the-Saxons)

    - [Dukes, counts, and advocates](/place/Germany/Dukes-counts-and-advocates)

    - [The promotion of the German church](/place/Germany/The-promotion-of-the-German-church)

    - [The Ottonian conquest of Italy and the imperial crown](/place/Germany/The-Ottonian-conquest-of-Italy-and-the-imperial-crown)

    - [The Salians, the papacy, and the princes, 1024–1125](/place/Germany/The-Salians-the-papacy-and-the-princes-1024-1125)

      - [Papal reform and the German church](/place/Germany/The-Salians-the-papacy-and-the-princes-1024-1125#ref58101)

      - [The discontent of the lay princes](/place/Germany/The-discontent-of-the-lay-princes)

      - [The civil war against Henry IV](/place/Germany/The-civil-war-against-Henry-IV)

      - [Henry V](/place/Germany/Henry-V)

  - [Germany and the Hohenstaufen, 1125–1250](/place/Germany/Germany-and-the-Hohenstaufen-1125-1250)

    - [Dynastic competition, 1125–52](/place/Germany/Germany-and-the-Hohenstaufen-1125-1250#ref58106)

    - [Colonization of the east](/place/Germany/Colonization-of-the-east)

    - [Hohenstaufen policy in Italy](/place/Germany/Hohenstaufen-policy-in-Italy)

    - [The fall of Henry the Lion](/place/Germany/The-fall-of-Henry-the-Lion)

    - [Hohenstaufen cooperation and conflict with the papacy, 1152–1215](/place/Germany/Hohenstaufen-cooperation-and-conflict-with-the-papacy-1152-1215)

    - [Frederick II and the princes](/place/Germany/Frederick-II-and-the-princes)

    - [The empire after the Hohenstaufen catastrophe](/place/Germany/The-empire-after-the-Hohenstaufen-catastrophe)

- [Germany from 1250 to 1493](/place/Germany/The-empire-after-the-Hohenstaufen-catastrophe#ref58113)

  - [1250 to 1378](/place/Germany/The-empire-after-the-Hohenstaufen-catastrophe#ref58114)

    - [The extinction of the Hohenstaufen dynasty](/place/Germany/The-empire-after-the-Hohenstaufen-catastrophe#ref58115)

    - [The Great Interregnum](/place/Germany/The-Great-Interregnum)

    - [The rise of the Habsburgs and Luxembourgs](/place/Germany/The-rise-of-the-Habsburgs-and-Luxembourgs)

      - [Rudolf of Habsburg](/place/Germany/The-rise-of-the-Habsburgs-and-Luxembourgs#ref58118)

      - [Adolf of Nassau](/place/Germany/The-rise-of-the-Habsburgs-and-Luxembourgs#ref58119)

      - [Albert I of Habsburg](/place/Germany/The-rise-of-the-Habsburgs-and-Luxembourgs#ref58120)

      - [Henry VII of Luxembourg](/place/Germany/The-rise-of-the-Habsburgs-and-Luxembourgs#ref58121)

    - [The growth of territorialism under the princes](/place/Germany/The-growth-of-territorialism-under-the-princes)

    - [Constitutional conflicts in the 14th century](/place/Germany/Constitutional-conflicts-in-the-14th-century)

      - [Charles IV and the Golden Bull](/place/Germany/Constitutional-conflicts-in-the-14th-century#ref58124)

      - [Decline of the German monarchy](/place/Germany/Decline-of-the-German-monarchy)

    - [The continued ascendancy of the princes](/place/Germany/The-continued-ascendancy-of-the-princes)

      - [Southern Germany](/place/Germany/The-continued-ascendancy-of-the-princes#ref58127)

      - [Central Germany](/place/Germany/The-continued-ascendancy-of-the-princes#ref58128)

      - [Northern Germany](/place/Germany/The-continued-ascendancy-of-the-princes#ref58129)

      - [Eastern Germany](/place/Germany/The-continued-ascendancy-of-the-princes#ref58130)

      - [Continued dispersement of territory](/place/Germany/The-continued-ascendancy-of-the-princes#ref58131)

  - [1378 to 1493](/place/Germany/1378-to-1493)

    - [Internal strife among cities and princes](/place/Germany/1378-to-1493#ref58133)

      - [Wenceslas](/place/Germany/1378-to-1493#ref58134)

      - [Rupert](/place/Germany/Rupert)

      - [Sigismund](/place/Germany/Rupert#ref58136)

    - [The Hussite controversy](/place/Germany/The-Hussite-controversy)

      - [Jan Hus](/place/Germany/The-Hussite-controversy#ref58138)

      - [The Hussite wars](/place/Germany/The-Hussite-wars)

    - [The Habsburgs and the imperial office](/place/Germany/The-Habsburgs-and-the-imperial-office)

      - [Albert II](/place/Germany/The-Habsburgs-and-the-imperial-office#ref58141)

      - [Frederick III](/place/Germany/The-Habsburgs-and-the-imperial-office#ref58142)

    - [Developments in the individual states to about 1500](/place/Germany/Developments-in-the-individual-states-to-about-1500)

      - [The princes and the _Landstände_](/place/Germany/Developments-in-the-individual-states-to-about-1500#ref58144)

      - [The growth of central governments](/place/Germany/Developments-in-the-individual-states-to-about-1500#ref58145)

    - [German society, economy, and culture in the 14th and 15th centuries](/place/Germany/German-society-economy-and-culture-in-the-14th-and-15th-centuries)

      - [Transformation of rural life](/place/Germany/German-society-economy-and-culture-in-the-14th-and-15th-centuries#ref58147)

      - [The nobility](/place/Germany/German-society-economy-and-culture-in-the-14th-and-15th-centuries#ref58148)

      - [Urban life](/place/Germany/Urban-life)

      - [The decline of the church](/place/Germany/Urban-life#ref58150)

      - [Trade and industry](/place/Germany/Trade-and-industry)

      - [Cultural life](/place/Germany/Trade-and-industry#ref58152)

- [Germany from 1493 to _c._ 1760](/place/Germany/Germany-from-1493-to-c-1760)

  - [Reform and Reformation, 1493–1555](/place/Germany/Germany-from-1493-to-c-1760#ref58154)

    - [The empire in 1493](/place/Germany/Germany-from-1493-to-c-1760#ref58155)

    - [Imperial reform](/place/Germany/Imperial-reform)

    - [The Reformation](/place/Germany/The-Reformation)

    - [Imperial election of 1519 and the Diet of Worms](/place/Germany/Imperial-election-of-1519-and-the-Diet-of-Worms)

    - [The revolution of 1525](/place/Germany/The-revolution-of-1525)

    - [Lutheran church organization and confessionalization](/place/Germany/Lutheran-church-organization-and-confessionalization)

    - [Religious war and the Peace of Augsburg](/place/Germany/Religious-war-and-the-Peace-of-Augsburg)

  - [The confessional age, 1555–1648](/place/Germany/The-confessional-age-1555-1648)

    - [German society in the later 1500s](/place/Germany/The-confessional-age-1555-1648#ref58163)

    - [Religion and politics, 1555–1618](/place/Germany/Religion-and-politics-1555-1618)

    - [The Thirty Years’ War and the Peace of Westphalia](/place/Germany/The-Thirty-Years-War-and-the-Peace-of-Westphalia)

  - [Territorial states in the age of absolutism](/place/Germany/Territorial-states-in-the-age-of-absolutism)

    - [The empire after Westphalia](/place/Germany/Territorial-states-in-the-age-of-absolutism#ref58167)

    - [The consolidation of Brandenburg-Prussia and Austria](/place/Germany/The-consolidation-of-Brandenburg-Prussia-and-Austria)

    - [The age of Louis XIV](/place/Germany/The-age-of-Louis-XIV)

    - [The contest between Prussia and Austria](/place/Germany/The-contest-between-Prussia-and-Austria)

- [Germany from _c._ 1760 to 1815](/place/Germany/Germany-from-c-1760-to-1815)

  - [Further rise of Prussia and the Hohenzollerns](/place/Germany/Further-rise-of-Prussia-and-the-Hohenzollerns)

  - [The cultural scene](/place/Germany/The-cultural-scene)

  - [Enlightened reform and benevolent despotism](/place/Germany/Enlightened-reform-and-benevolent-despotism)

  - [The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic era](/place/Germany/The-French-Revolutionary-and-Napoleonic-era)

    - [End of the Holy Roman Empire](/place/Germany/End-of-the-Holy-Roman-Empire)

    - [Period of French hegemony in Germany](/place/Germany/Period-of-French-hegemony-in-Germany)

    - [The Wars of Liberation](/place/Germany/The-Wars-of-Liberation)

  - [Results of the Congress of Vienna](/place/Germany/Results-of-the-Congress-of-Vienna)

- [The age of Metternich and the era of unification, 1815–71](/place/Germany/The-age-of-Metternich-and-the-era-of-unification-1815-71)

  - [Reform and reaction](/place/Germany/The-age-of-Metternich-and-the-era-of-unification-1815-71#ref58182)

  - [Evolution of parties and ideologies](/place/Germany/Evolution-of-parties-and-ideologies)

  - [Economic changes and the Zollverein](/place/Germany/Economic-changes-and-the-Zollverein)

  - [The revolutions of 1848–49](/place/Germany/The-revolutions-of-1848-49)

  - [The 1850s: years of political reaction and economic growth](/place/Germany/The-1850s-years-of-political-reaction-and-economic-growth)

  - [The 1860s: the triumphs of Bismarck](/place/Germany/The-1860s-the-triumphs-of-Bismarck)

    - [The defeat of Austria](/place/Germany/The-defeat-of-Austria)

    - [Bismarck’s national policies: the restriction of liberalism](/place/Germany/Bismarcks-national-policies-the-restriction-of-liberalism)

    - [Franco-German conflict and the new German Reich](/place/Germany/Franco-German-conflict-and-the-new-German-Reich)

- [Germany from 1871 to 1918](/place/Germany/Germany-from-1871-to-1918)

  - [The German Empire, 1871–1914](/place/Germany/Germany-from-1871-to-1918#ref58192)

    - [Domestic concerns](/place/Germany/Germany-from-1871-to-1918#ref58193)

    - [The economy, 1870–90](/place/Germany/The-economy-1870-90)

    - [Foreign policy, 1870–90](/place/Germany/Foreign-policy-1870-90)

    - [Politics, 1890–1914](/place/Germany/Politics-1890-1914)

    - [The economy, 1890–1914](/place/Germany/The-economy-1890-1914)

    - [Foreign policy, 1890–1914](/place/Germany/Foreign-policy-1890-1914)

  - [World War I](/place/Germany/World-War-I)

- [Germany from 1918 to 1945](/place/Germany/Germany-from-1918-to-1945)

  - [The rise and fall of the Weimar Republic, 1918–33](/place/Germany/Germany-from-1918-to-1945#ref58200)

    - [Defeat of revolutionaries, 1918–19](/place/Germany/Germany-from-1918-to-1945#ref58201)

    - [The Treaty of Versailles](/place/Germany/The-Treaty-of-Versailles)

    - [The Weimar constitution](/place/Germany/The-Weimar-constitution)

    - [Years of crisis, 1920–23](/place/Germany/Years-of-crisis-1920-23)

    - [The Weimar Renaissance](/place/Germany/The-Weimar-Renaissance)

    - [Years of economic and political stabilization](/place/Germany/Years-of-economic-and-political-stabilization)

    - [The end of the republic](/place/Germany/The-end-of-the-republic)

  - [The Third Reich, 1933–45](/place/Germany/The-Third-Reich-1933-45)

    - [The Nazi revolution](/place/Germany/The-Third-Reich-1933-45#ref58209)

    - [The totalitarian state](/place/Germany/The-totalitarian-state)

    - [Foreign policy](/place/Germany/Foreign-policy)

    - [World War II](/place/Germany/World-War-II)

- [The era of partition](/place/Germany/The-era-of-partition)

  - [Allied occupation and the formation of the two Germanys, 1945–49](/place/Germany/The-era-of-partition#ref58214)

    - [Formation of the Federal Republic of Germany](/place/Germany/Formation-of-the-Federal-Republic-of-Germany)

    - [Formation of the German Democratic Republic](/place/Germany/Formation-of-the-German-Democratic-Republic)

  - [Political consolidation and economic growth, 1949–69](/place/Germany/Political-consolidation-and-economic-growth-1949-69)

  - [_Ostpolitik_ and reconciliation, 1969–89](/place/Germany/Ostpolitik-and-reconciliation-1969-89)

- [The reunification of Germany](/place/Germany/The-reunification-of-Germany)

  - [Helmut Kohl and the struggles of reunification](/place/Germany/Helmut-Kohl-and-the-struggles-of-reunification)

  - [Chancellorship of Gerhard Schröder](/place/Germany/Chancellorship-of-Gerhard-Schroder)

  - [The Merkel administration](/place/Germany/The-Merkel-administration)

- [Leaders of Germany](/place/Germany/Leaders-of-Germany)


[References & Edit History](https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany/additional-info) [Facts & Stats](/facts/Germany)

[Images, Videos & Interactives](https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany/images-videos)

[![Germany](https://cdn.britannica.com/97/897-004-232BDF01/Flag-Germany.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/97/897-050-0BFECDA5/Flag-Germany.jpg)[![Germany](https://cdn.britannica.com/98/898-004-FB3FE3F3/Germany.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/98/898-050-FABCB62A/Germany.jpg)[![Stolberg, Germany](https://cdn.britannica.com/90/20290-004-DA9B6DB3/Village-street-Germany-Stolberg.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/90/20290-050-F128E2DC/Village-street-Germany-Stolberg.jpg)[![Germany](https://cdn.britannica.com/48/183648-004-874A1C07/World-Data-Locator-Map-Germany.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/48/183648-050-82886FCB/World-Data-Locator-Map-Germany.jpg)[![Modern Berlin: Blending history with modernity](https://cdn.britannica.com/49/179449-138-9F4EC401/Overview-Berlin.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](/video/179449/Overview-Berlin)[![How did Berlin become the capital of reunified Germany?](https://cdn.britannica.com/92/180292-138-07F718D0/Overview-Bonn-decision-Berlin-Germany.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](/video/180292/Overview-Bonn-decision-Berlin-Germany)[![Rhine River](https://cdn.britannica.com/91/20291-004-8D9E9CA3/Barge-background-vineyards-Rhine-River-Kaub-town.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/91/20291-050-20459334/Barge-background-vineyards-Rhine-River-Kaub-town.jpg)[![Zugspitze, Germany](https://cdn.britannica.com/62/26962-004-7BB384C9/summit-Zugspitze-Germany.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/62/26962-004-7BB384C9/summit-Zugspitze-Germany.jpg)[![Germany: Black Forest](https://cdn.britannica.com/88/171188-004-712AB376/Mountain-village-region-Black-Forest-Germany-Baden-Wurttemberg.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/88/171188-050-5BA216A5/Mountain-village-region-Black-Forest-Germany-Baden-Wurttemberg.jpg)

For Students


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[Germany summary](/summary/Germany)

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[Guess the Country by Its Neighbors Quiz](/quiz/guess-the-country-by-its-neighbors-quiz)

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Contents


[Geography & Travel](/browse/Geography-Travel)[Countries of the World](/browse/Countries-of-the-World)

[![](https://cdn.britannica.com/98/898-050-FABCB62A/Germany.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/98/898-050-FABCB62A/Germany.jpg)

[Germany](https://cdn.britannica.com/98/898-050-FABCB62A/Germany.jpg)(more)

[![](https://cdn.britannica.com/90/20290-050-F128E2DC/Village-street-Germany-Stolberg.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/90/20290-050-F128E2DC/Village-street-Germany-Stolberg.jpg)

[Stolberg, Germany](https://cdn.britannica.com/90/20290-050-F128E2DC/Village-street-Germany-Stolberg.jpg) Village built along a single street ( _Strassendorf_); Stolberg, Germany.(more)

# Germany



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- [National Geographic Kids - Germany Facts](https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/geography/countries/country-fact-file-germany/)
- [Jewish Virtual Library - Germany](https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/germany-virtual-jewish-history-tour)
- [Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Germany](https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/germany/)

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

- [Germany - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)](https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Germany/345694)
- [Germany - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)](https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Germany/274536)



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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

- [Germany - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)](https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Germany/345694)
- [Germany - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)](https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Germany/274536)

Also known as: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Deutschland, Federal Republic of Germany


Written by


[James J. Sheehan\
\
Professor of History, Stanford University, California. Author of _German History, 1770–1866_ and "The German States and the European Revolution," in Isser Woloch, ed., _Revolution and the Meaning..._](/contributor/James-J-Sheehan/4931)

James J. Sheehan,

[Peter John Heather\
\
Lecturer in Modern History, University of Oxford. Author of _Goths and Romans, 332–489._](/contributor/Peter-John-Heather/3556)

Peter John Heather• [All](https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany/additional-info#contributors)

Fact-checked by

[The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica\
\
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.](/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419)

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated:

Sep 13, 2024
• [Article History](https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany/additional-info#history)


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## Recent News

Sep. 13, 2024, 12:24 PM ET (AP)


[Germany signs agreement with Kenya to bring in skilled workers and plug labor market gaps](/news/231186/3b15496dc33d1897914fd894ee33bc9f)

Sep. 13, 2024, 6:15 AM ET (AP)


[Islamic extremist plotted to attack German soldiers during their lunch break, prosecutors say](/news/231186/8d5da6a7095b1986a9d4836fa2e6a102)

Sep. 12, 2024, 12:22 PM ET (AP)


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Sep. 11, 2024, 10:41 PM ET (AP)


[A partial bridge collapse in eastern Germany disrupts traffic. No one was injured](/news/231186/ad1ebf71f396d8984d2e79f9e6ba3f06)

**Germany**, [country](https://www.britannica.com/topic/nation-state) of north-central [Europe](https://www.britannica.com/place/Europe), [traversing](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traversing) the [continent](https://www.britannica.com/science/continent)’s main physical divisions, from the outer ranges of the [Alps](https://www.britannica.com/place/Alps) northward across the varied [landscape](https://www.britannica.com/art/landscape-architecture) of the Central German Uplands and then across the [North German Plain](https://www.britannica.com/place/North-German-Plain).

[![](https://cdn.britannica.com/48/183648-050-82886FCB/World-Data-Locator-Map-Germany.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/48/183648-050-82886FCB/World-Data-Locator-Map-Germany.jpg)

[Germany](https://cdn.britannica.com/48/183648-050-82886FCB/World-Data-Locator-Map-Germany.jpg)(more)

[![Germany](https://cdn.britannica.com/97/897-050-0BFECDA5/Flag-Germany.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/97/897-050-0BFECDA5/Flag-Germany.jpg)

See article: [flag of Germany](/topic/flag-of-Germany)

**Audio File:**
Anthem of Germany ( [see article](/topic/Deutschlandlied))

[See all media](https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany/images-videos)

Officially: Federal Republic of Germany_(Show more)_

German: Deutschland or Bundesrepublik Deutschland_(Show more)_

Head Of Government: Chancellor: [Olaf Scholz](/biography/Olaf-Scholz)_(Show more)_

Capital: [Berlin](/place/Berlin) [3](/facts/Germany)_(Show more)_

Population: (2024 est.) 86,303,000_(Show more)_

Currency Exchange Rate: 1 USD equals 0.937 euro_(Show more)_

Head Of State: President: [Frank-Walter Steinmeier](/biography/Frank-Walter-Steinmeier)_(Show more)_

[See all facts & stats →](/facts/Germany)

One of [Europe](https://www.britannica.com/place/Europe)’s largest countries, Germany [encompasses](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encompasses) a wide variety of landscapes: the tall, sheer mountains of the south; the sandy, rolling plains of the north; the forested hills of the urbanized west; and the plains of the agricultural east. At the spiritual heart of the country is the magnificent east-central city of [Berlin](https://www.britannica.com/place/Berlin), which rose phoenixlike from the ashes of [World War II](https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II) and now, after decades of partition, is the capital of a reunified Germany, and the [Rhine River](https://www.britannica.com/place/Rhine-River), which flows northward from [Switzerland](https://www.britannica.com/place/Switzerland) and is celebrated in visual art, literature, folklore, and song. Along its banks and those of its principal tributaries—among them the [Neckar](https://www.britannica.com/place/Neckar-River), [Main](https://www.britannica.com/place/Main-River), [Moselle](https://www.britannica.com/place/Moselle-River), and [Ruhr](https://www.britannica.com/place/Ruhr)—stand hundreds of [medieval](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/medieval) castles, churches, picturesque villages, market towns, and centres of learning and [culture](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture), including [Heidelberg](https://www.britannica.com/place/Heidelberg), the site of one of Europe’s oldest universities (founded in 1386), and [Mainz](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mainz), historically one of Europe’s most important publishing centres. All are centrepieces of Germany’s thriving tourist economy, which brings millions of visitors to the country each year, drawn by its natural beauty, history, culture, and cuisine (including its renowned wines and beers).

The name Germany has long described not a particular place but the loose, fluid polity of Germanic-speaking peoples that held sway over much of western Europe north of the Alps for millennia. Although Germany in that sense is an ancient [entity](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/entity), the German nation in more or less its present form came into being only in the 19th century, when Prussian Prime Minister [Otto von Bismarck](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Otto-von-Bismarck) brought together dozens of German-speaking kingdoms, principalities, free cities, bishoprics, and duchies to form the [German Empire](https://www.britannica.com/place/German-Empire) in 1871. This so-called Second Reich quickly became Europe’s leading power and acquired colonies in [Africa](https://www.britannica.com/place/Africa), [Asia](https://www.britannica.com/place/Asia), and the Pacific. That overseas empire was dismantled following Germany’s defeat in [World War I](https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-I) and the [abdication](https://www.britannica.com/topic/abdication) of Emperor [William II](https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-II-emperor-of-Germany). Economic depression, widespread unemployment, and political strife that verged on civil war followed, leading to the collapse of the progressive [Weimar Republic](https://www.britannica.com/place/Weimar-Republic) and the rise of the [Nazi Party](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nazi-Party) under [Adolf Hitler](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Adolf-Hitler). After gaining power in 1933, Hitler established the [Third Reich](https://www.britannica.com/place/Third-Reich) and soon thereafter [embarked](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/embarked) on a ruinous crusade to conquer Europe and exterminate Jews, [Roma](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Rom) (Gypsies), homosexuals, and others.

The Third Reich disintegrated in 1945, brought down by the Allied armies of the [United States](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States), the United Kingdom, the [Soviet Union](https://www.britannica.com/place/Soviet-Union), [France](https://www.britannica.com/place/France), and other countries. The victorious powers divided Germany into four zones of occupation and later into two countries: the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the [German Democratic Republic](https://www.britannica.com/place/East-Germany) (East Germany), [separated](https://www.britannica.com/topic/divided-nation) for more than 40 years by a long boundary. In East Germany this boundary was, until the fall of its communist government in 1989, marked by defenses designed to prevent escape. The 185 square miles (480 square km) of the “island” of [West Berlin](https://www.britannica.com/place/West-Berlin) were similarly ringed from 1961 to 1989 by the [Berlin Wall](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Berlin-Wall) running through the city and by a heavily guarded wire-mesh fence in the areas abutting the East German countryside. Although [Berlin](https://www.britannica.com/place/Berlin) was a flashpoint between the United States and the Soviet Union during the [Cold War](https://www.britannica.com/event/Cold-War), the city declined in national and international significance until 1989–90, when a popular and peaceful uprising toppled the East German government and soon after restored a united Berlin as the capital of a reunified Germany.

[![Modern Berlin: Blending history with modernity](https://cdn.britannica.com/49/179449-138-9F4EC401/Overview-Berlin.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)](/video/179449/Overview-Berlin)

Modern Berlin: Blending history with modernityOverview of Berlin.(more)

[See all videos for this article](/place/Germany/images-videos)

[![Opened passport with visas, stamps, seals, world map. (travel, tourism)](https://cdn.britannica.com/38/247338-131-37776892/passport-visas-stamps-world-map.jpg)\
\
Britannica Quiz\
\
Guess the Country by Its Neighbors Quiz](/quiz/guess-the-country-by-its-neighbors-quiz)

Since World War II, Germany has made great efforts to both [commemorate](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commemorate) the victims and redress the crimes of the [Holocaust](https://www.britannica.com/event/Holocaust), providing strong material and political support for the state of [Israel](https://www.britannica.com/place/Israel) and actively prosecuting hate crimes and the [propagation](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propagation) of [neo-Nazi doctrine](https://www.britannica.com/topic/anti-Semitism); the latter became an issue in the 1990s with the rise in Germany of anti-immigrant skinhead groups and the availability of Hitler’s [_Mein Kampf_](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mein-Kampf) over the Internet. Clearly, modern Germany struggles to balance its national interests with those of an influx of political and economic refugees from far afield, especially [North Africa](https://www.britannica.com/place/North-Africa), [Turkey](https://www.britannica.com/place/Turkey), and [South Asia](https://www.britannica.com/place/South-Asia), an influx that has fueled ethnic tensions and swelled the ranks of nationalist political parties, particularly in eastern Germany, where unemployment was double that of the west. Tensions became especially [acute](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acute) in the second decade of the 21st century, when more than one million migrants entered Germany in the wake of the revolutions of the [Arab Spring](https://www.britannica.com/event/Arab-Spring) and the [Syrian Civil War](https://www.britannica.com/event/Syrian-Civil-War).

[![How did Berlin become the capital of reunified Germany?](https://cdn.britannica.com/92/180292-138-07F718D0/Overview-Bonn-decision-Berlin-Germany.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)](/video/180292/Overview-Bonn-decision-Berlin-Germany)

How did Berlin become the capital of reunified Germany?Overview of the decision to make Berlin—rather than Bonn—the capital of reunified Germany.(more)

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The constitution of the [republic](https://www.britannica.com/topic/republic-government), adopted in 1949 by [West Germany](https://www.britannica.com/place/West-Germany), created a federal system that gives significant government powers to its [constituent](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constituent) _[Länder](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Land-German-political-unit)_ (states). Before unification there were 11 West German _Länder_ (including West Berlin, which had the special status of a _Land_ without voting rights), but, with the accession of East Germany, there are now 16 _Länder_ in the unified republic. The largest of the states is [Bavaria](https://www.britannica.com/place/Bavaria) (Bayern), the richest is [Baden-Württemberg](https://www.britannica.com/place/Baden-Wurttemberg), and the most populous is [North Rhine–Westphalia](https://www.britannica.com/place/North-Rhine-Westphalia) (Nordrhein-Westfalen).

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Matters of national importance, such as defense and foreign affairs, are reserved to the federal government. At both the state and federal levels, [parliamentary democracy](https://www.britannica.com/topic/parliamentary-system) prevails. The Federal Republic has been a member of the [North Atlantic Treaty Organization](https://www.britannica.com/topic/North-Atlantic-Treaty-Organization) (NATO) since 1955 and was a founding member of the [European Economic Community](https://www.britannica.com/topic/European-Community-European-economic-association) ( _see_ [European Union](https://www.britannica.com/topic/European-Union)). During the four decades of partition, the Federal Republic concluded a number of agreements with the Soviet Union and East Germany, which it supported to some extent economically in return for various [concessions](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concessions) with regard to humanitarian matters and access to Berlin. West Germany’s rapid economic recovery in the 1950s ( _[Wirtschaftswunder](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wirtschaftswunder)_, or “economic miracle”) brought it into a leading position among the world’s economic powers, a position that it has maintained.

Much of Germany’s post-World War II success has been the result of the renowned industriousness and self-sacrifice of its people, about which novelist [Günter Grass](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gunter-Grass), winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1999, remarked, “To be a German is to make the impossible possible.” He added, more critically,

> For in our country everything is geared to growth. We’re never satisfied. For us enough is never enough. We always want more. If it’s on paper, we convert it into reality. Even in our dreams we’re productive.

This devotion to hard work has combined with a public demeanour—which is at once reserved and assertive—to produce a [stereotype](https://www.britannica.com/topic/stereotype-social) of the German people as aloof and distant. Yet Germans prize both their private friendships and their friendly relations with neighbours and visitors, place a high value on leisure and culture, and enjoy the benefits of life in a [liberal democracy](https://www.britannica.com/topic/liberal-democracy) that has become ever more [integrated](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/integrated) with and central to a united Europe.