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Territorial evolution of Germany
The territorial evolution of Germany in this article includes all changes in the modern territory of Germany from its unification making it a country on 1 January 1871 to the present, although the history of both "Germany" as a territorial polity concept and the history of the ethnic Germans are much longer and much more complex. Modern Germany was formed when the Kingdom of Prussia unified most of the German states, with the exception of multi-ethnic Austria (which was ruled by the German-speaking royal family of Habsburg and had significant German-speaking land), into the German Empire. As a result of its loss in the First World War, the 1919 Treaty of Versailles stipulated that Germany cede about 13% of its territory to its neighbours; its colonies were lost at the same time. The Weimar Republic was formed two days before the end of fighting in WWI. This republic included territories to the east of today's German borders.
The period of Nazi rule from the early 1930s through the end of the Second World War brought significant territorial losses for the country. Nazi Germany initially expanded the country's territory dramatically and conquered most of Europe, though not all areas were added to Germany officially. However, the Nazi plan for the near future was the establishment of a Greater Germanic Reich including most of Europe. The Nazi regime eventually collapsed, and the four Allies occupied Germany.
Nazi annexations from the time of its annexation of Austria on 13 March 1938 were annulled while the former eastern territories of Germany before Nazi annexation of Austria were ceded to Poland and the Soviet Union and the Oder and Neisse Rivers became Germany's new eastern boundary. This territory became Poland's so-called "Recovered Territories", while approximately one-third of East Prussia became the Russian Federation's Kaliningrad Oblast. In the west, the Saar area (Saarland) formed one French-controlled protectorate with its own high autonomy.
The western part of Germany was unified as the Trizone, becoming the Federal Republic of Germany on 23 May 1949 ("West Germany"). Western-occupied West Berlin declared its accession to the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949 but was denied by the occupying powers. The Soviet zone of Germany in the east, including the Soviet sector of Berlin, became the communist German Democratic Republic ("East Germany") on 7 October of the same year. on 1 January 1957, the Saar Protectorate (which was separated from Germany on 17 December 1947) became a part the Federal Republic of Germany, as provided by its Grundgesetz (constitution) article no. 23 ("Little reunification"). East Germany, including East Berlin, became parts the Federal Republic of Germany on 3 October 1990 – an event referred to as German reunification.
Part of the motivation behind the territorial changes is based on historical events in the Eastern and Central Europe. Migrations to the East that took place over more than a millennium led to pockets of Germans living throughout Central and Eastern Europe as far east as Russia. The existence of these enclaves was sometimes used by German nationalists, such as the Nazis, to justify territorial claims.
The territorial changes of Germany after World War II can be interpreted in the context of the evolution of global nationalism and European nationalism.
The latter half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century saw the rise of nationalism in Europe. Previously, a country consisted largely of whatever peoples lived on the land that was under the dominion of a particular ruler. As principalities and kingdoms grew through conquest and marriage, a ruler could wind up with many different ethnicities under his dominion.
The concept of nationalism was based on the idea of a "people" who shared a common bond through race, religion, language and culture. Furthermore, nationalism asserted that each "people" had a right to its own state. Thus, much of European history in the latter half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century can be understood as efforts to realign national boundaries with this concept of "one people, one state". Many interior conflicts were a result of more or less pressurising citizens of alternative ethnicities and/or other native languages to assimilate to the ethnicity dominant in the state. Switzerland was the exception, lacking a common native language.
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Territorial evolution of Germany AI simulator
(@Territorial evolution of Germany_simulator)
Territorial evolution of Germany
The territorial evolution of Germany in this article includes all changes in the modern territory of Germany from its unification making it a country on 1 January 1871 to the present, although the history of both "Germany" as a territorial polity concept and the history of the ethnic Germans are much longer and much more complex. Modern Germany was formed when the Kingdom of Prussia unified most of the German states, with the exception of multi-ethnic Austria (which was ruled by the German-speaking royal family of Habsburg and had significant German-speaking land), into the German Empire. As a result of its loss in the First World War, the 1919 Treaty of Versailles stipulated that Germany cede about 13% of its territory to its neighbours; its colonies were lost at the same time. The Weimar Republic was formed two days before the end of fighting in WWI. This republic included territories to the east of today's German borders.
The period of Nazi rule from the early 1930s through the end of the Second World War brought significant territorial losses for the country. Nazi Germany initially expanded the country's territory dramatically and conquered most of Europe, though not all areas were added to Germany officially. However, the Nazi plan for the near future was the establishment of a Greater Germanic Reich including most of Europe. The Nazi regime eventually collapsed, and the four Allies occupied Germany.
Nazi annexations from the time of its annexation of Austria on 13 March 1938 were annulled while the former eastern territories of Germany before Nazi annexation of Austria were ceded to Poland and the Soviet Union and the Oder and Neisse Rivers became Germany's new eastern boundary. This territory became Poland's so-called "Recovered Territories", while approximately one-third of East Prussia became the Russian Federation's Kaliningrad Oblast. In the west, the Saar area (Saarland) formed one French-controlled protectorate with its own high autonomy.
The western part of Germany was unified as the Trizone, becoming the Federal Republic of Germany on 23 May 1949 ("West Germany"). Western-occupied West Berlin declared its accession to the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949 but was denied by the occupying powers. The Soviet zone of Germany in the east, including the Soviet sector of Berlin, became the communist German Democratic Republic ("East Germany") on 7 October of the same year. on 1 January 1957, the Saar Protectorate (which was separated from Germany on 17 December 1947) became a part the Federal Republic of Germany, as provided by its Grundgesetz (constitution) article no. 23 ("Little reunification"). East Germany, including East Berlin, became parts the Federal Republic of Germany on 3 October 1990 – an event referred to as German reunification.
Part of the motivation behind the territorial changes is based on historical events in the Eastern and Central Europe. Migrations to the East that took place over more than a millennium led to pockets of Germans living throughout Central and Eastern Europe as far east as Russia. The existence of these enclaves was sometimes used by German nationalists, such as the Nazis, to justify territorial claims.
The territorial changes of Germany after World War II can be interpreted in the context of the evolution of global nationalism and European nationalism.
The latter half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century saw the rise of nationalism in Europe. Previously, a country consisted largely of whatever peoples lived on the land that was under the dominion of a particular ruler. As principalities and kingdoms grew through conquest and marriage, a ruler could wind up with many different ethnicities under his dominion.
The concept of nationalism was based on the idea of a "people" who shared a common bond through race, religion, language and culture. Furthermore, nationalism asserted that each "people" had a right to its own state. Thus, much of European history in the latter half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century can be understood as efforts to realign national boundaries with this concept of "one people, one state". Many interior conflicts were a result of more or less pressurising citizens of alternative ethnicities and/or other native languages to assimilate to the ethnicity dominant in the state. Switzerland was the exception, lacking a common native language.