Timeline of German History 1919-present
1. 1919 – Germany lost World War I and was forced to face the consequences of the Treaty of Versailles, which included losing colonies and land to their neighbors. Furthermore Germany was in an economic depression, which left the people mad and hungry. Hence, people looked for extremist solutions and became interested in extremist parties such as the Communist Party and the Nazi Party.
2. January 30 1933 - Hitler became chancellor and began to form a government. Once he became chancellor he quickly began to dismantle the Weimar constitution. By the end of 1933, trade unions and other political parties other than the Nazi party were banned and Germany withdrew from the League of Nations. Moreover, in 1933 the Nuremburg Laws were passed, the beginning of anti-Semitism, which prohibited Jews from any position of responsibility.
3. 1934 – Hitler proclaimed the Third Reich, meaning that Germany became a one-party state under the rule of the Nazis. Hitler encouraged the persecution of all Jews and led the Germans to believe that the German race was superior to all other races, and therefore the Germans should rule all other nationalities, as the Germans need more Lebensraum.
4. September 1 1939 – Was the day the Nazis invaded Poland. It marked the beginning of World War II, as France and Britain declared war on Germany the moment the Germans invaded Poland. After the invasion into Poland, Germany declared war on many other European countries including Belgium, the Netherlands and eventually the Soviet Union.
5. July 16 – August 2 1945 – The Potsdam Conference, which took place after German lost World War II, issued the division of Germany into four military occupation zones: “Occupation Zone Germany” Each zone was occupied by one of the four allies who won the war: the Soviet Union, United States, France and Britain. The French, British and US occupied the west, whilst the Soviets occupied the East forming the DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republic.
6. September 15 1949 – Konrad Adenauer of the Christian Democratic Party (CDU) became West Germany’s first chancellor. He put together a coalition of the CDU, the FDP and many other minority parties. In September of 1949 the cabinet was accepted. Adenauer was a crucial part of the renewal of Germany’s political and economic life, as he forged a system called Chancellor democracy.
7. August 13 1961 – Was the beginning of the building of the Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall was put in place by the Soviet Union to separate Eastern Germany from the West. It was put into place as many Eastern Germans had attempted to flee to Western Germany, because the standard of living was much better there, as it wasn’t under a communist control.
8. November 9 1989 – Was the day the Berlin Wall fell and Eastern and Western Germany were united. The previous September there had been mass rallies demanding political reform in Eastern Germany. Eventually on November 9th, Egon Krenz the last leader of the DDR gave in, and all travel restrictions were lifted and people began to tear down the wall.
9. July 1 1990 – The two Germany’s agreed to merge their economies, and fully unify Germany. Unification was a great challenge, as everything in the East was substandard. The economic results were terrible as Germany suffered mass unemployment.
10. February 7 1992 - Germany signed the Maastricht Treaty on the European Union. The treaty led to the single European currency, the euro, and it also allowed free trade amongst the member nations.
11. November 22 2005 - Angela Merkel from the CDU became the first female and the first Ossi (from the former DDR) chancellor of Germany. Merkel was the CDU spokesperson for the only democratically elected government in the DDR. Eventually she got elected to the Bundestag. Once Merkel became chancellor she created a “grand coalition” involving the CDU and the SPD, which is still currently in place.
2. January 30 1933 - Hitler became chancellor and began to form a government. Once he became chancellor he quickly began to dismantle the Weimar constitution. By the end of 1933, trade unions and other political parties other than the Nazi party were banned and Germany withdrew from the League of Nations. Moreover, in 1933 the Nuremburg Laws were passed, the beginning of anti-Semitism, which prohibited Jews from any position of responsibility.
3. 1934 – Hitler proclaimed the Third Reich, meaning that Germany became a one-party state under the rule of the Nazis. Hitler encouraged the persecution of all Jews and led the Germans to believe that the German race was superior to all other races, and therefore the Germans should rule all other nationalities, as the Germans need more Lebensraum.
4. September 1 1939 – Was the day the Nazis invaded Poland. It marked the beginning of World War II, as France and Britain declared war on Germany the moment the Germans invaded Poland. After the invasion into Poland, Germany declared war on many other European countries including Belgium, the Netherlands and eventually the Soviet Union.
5. July 16 – August 2 1945 – The Potsdam Conference, which took place after German lost World War II, issued the division of Germany into four military occupation zones: “Occupation Zone Germany” Each zone was occupied by one of the four allies who won the war: the Soviet Union, United States, France and Britain. The French, British and US occupied the west, whilst the Soviets occupied the East forming the DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republic.
6. September 15 1949 – Konrad Adenauer of the Christian Democratic Party (CDU) became West Germany’s first chancellor. He put together a coalition of the CDU, the FDP and many other minority parties. In September of 1949 the cabinet was accepted. Adenauer was a crucial part of the renewal of Germany’s political and economic life, as he forged a system called Chancellor democracy.
7. August 13 1961 – Was the beginning of the building of the Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall was put in place by the Soviet Union to separate Eastern Germany from the West. It was put into place as many Eastern Germans had attempted to flee to Western Germany, because the standard of living was much better there, as it wasn’t under a communist control.
8. November 9 1989 – Was the day the Berlin Wall fell and Eastern and Western Germany were united. The previous September there had been mass rallies demanding political reform in Eastern Germany. Eventually on November 9th, Egon Krenz the last leader of the DDR gave in, and all travel restrictions were lifted and people began to tear down the wall.
9. July 1 1990 – The two Germany’s agreed to merge their economies, and fully unify Germany. Unification was a great challenge, as everything in the East was substandard. The economic results were terrible as Germany suffered mass unemployment.
10. February 7 1992 - Germany signed the Maastricht Treaty on the European Union. The treaty led to the single European currency, the euro, and it also allowed free trade amongst the member nations.
11. November 22 2005 - Angela Merkel from the CDU became the first female and the first Ossi (from the former DDR) chancellor of Germany. Merkel was the CDU spokesperson for the only democratically elected government in the DDR. Eventually she got elected to the Bundestag. Once Merkel became chancellor she created a “grand coalition” involving the CDU and the SPD, which is still currently in place.