Chapter 16 sec 2 Germany

Chapter16 Section 2
Germany
Germany
Thursday November 9, 1989 thousands of East and West Berliners gathered along the Berlin wall because the East German government announced the borders would be opened

Germany’s Struggle for Unity
103 mile-long wall built in 1961 by Communist East German government to keep its citizens from escaping to West Germany
Germany has history of being one of divisions and unifications for centuries
Divided German States
The area of Germany was part of Charlemagne's Holy Roman Empire
When he died Germany broke up into small independent political units
Ruled by princes, dukes, bishops
Often bitter rivalry and fighting among states

1500’s Protestant Reformation divided the German states more
Protestants objected to practices and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church
In 1600’s Reformation sparked 30 years of warfare between Protestants and Catholics
In late 1700’s state of Prussia (now eastern Germany) led movement to merge many German states into a single confederation
Germany defeated France in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871
The independent German states then joined the German Empire
United Germany’s Defeats
1882 Germany joined Austria-Hungary and Italy to form military alliance called Triple Alliance


World War I 1914-1918 the alliance fought against France, Russia, the United Kingdom and United States
Germany defeated and had to pay reparations to the victors
Germany suffered economically and in early 1920’s inflation ruined value of Germany’s currency
1929 worldwide economic depression left millions of Germans unemployed
1930’s Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party came into power
Hitler promised to restore Germany’s past glory and the economy
Blamed Jews and others he considered to be racially inferior for Germany’s problems
1939 Germany invaded Poland and started World War II
Hitler had ,millions of Jew, Poles, Gypsies, Slavs and others killed in concentration camps
April 1945 Germany was defeated by the Allied Countries- USA, UK, France, and Soviet Union
One People, Two countries
After WWII tensions grew between the Western Allies and Soviet Union over Germany’s future
1949 Western leaders established the democratic country of the Federal Republic of Germany –Western Germany
The Soviet Union set up Communist German Democratic Republic – East Germany
Berlin the capital was located in East Germany
American, British and French forces remained in western half of city and became part of West Germany
U.S. – Check Point Charlie


40 years Germany remained divided between East and West
In late 1989 demonstrations calling for democracy swept through Eastern Europe
It overturned East Germany’s Communist government
The new East German government announced it would open the borders
Within weeks large sections of the Berlin Wall the symblol of a divided Germany were destroyed
October 3, 1990 East and West Germany were officially reunited
Physical Characteristics
Physical regions are varied
Three bands that extend across the country
High craggy mountains to south
Hills, low peaks and plateaus in central
North flat lands
Generally mild climate due to influence of the North Sea
In southern areas humid continental climate with colder winters and warmer summers

Plains, Rivers, and Cities
Northern Germany covered by Northern Germany Plain
Part of European Plain
Hundreds of miles flat, sandy that reach North Sea and Baltic Sea
Wide rivers flow north out of highlands across the pains to the sea
Most of the plains are farmed but manufacturing and trade are important
Hamburg the largest port and second-largest city built around a harbor where the Elbe River flows into North Sea
Leading center of trade

Rostock a port is tribute toe German achievement after WWII
East Germany cut it connections with West Germany it lost its ports
Dug a new harbor crating a major port on Baltic Sea at Rostock
Berlin the capital and largest city was badly damaged during WWII
It was rebuilt
Today it is prosperous
Natural Resources and Industry
2 major Rivers – Rhine and Elbe flow through central Germany
This region is one of the most important industrial center in the world
1880’s coal deposits were found near Ruhr River
The Ruhr Valley became the first industrial center in Germany
Today it produces most of Germany iron and steel, important chemical and textile
More than 8 million people live in Duisburg, Essen, Bochum and Dortmund and smaller cites forming a huge metropolis
Eastern Part of central Germany another large industrial region
Steel, machinery, automobiles, and textiles
Power comes from lignite – pollutes air heavily


Some people in central Germany lives in small cities such as Frankfurt the banking center and Heidelberg world-famous university
Scenic Southern Germany
Southern border are the Bavarian Alps
North of the Alps land is less mountainous
Rhine and Danube rivers flow through the hilly land
Skiers and hikers enjoy the scenery
Munich is the larges city in southern Germany
Much was destroyed during WWII but has been rebuilt
Germany in the World Today
1999 Germany was the leading industrial country in Western Europe
3rd most technologically powerful economy (after US and Japan)
Leading member of the European Union

Faces several problems
Aging population
Puts strain on social security
$100 billion spent to upgrade the economy of eastern lands that were under Communist control
Unemployment, violence against foreign workers, pollution to environment