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===Imperial Germany===

===Imperial Germany===

During the last quarter of the nineteenth century and the first quarter of the twentieth, Germany moved far ahead in both the theory and the practice of [[socialism]]. The Germans, long before the Nazis, were attacking [[classical liberalism]] and [[democracy]], [[capitalism]], and [[individualism]].  Long before the Nazis the German and Italian socialists were using techniques of which the Nazis and fascists later made effective use. The idea of a political party which embraces all activities of the individual from the cradle to the grave, which claims to guide his views on everything, was first put into practice by the socialists. It was not the fascists but the socialists who began to collect children at the tenderest age into political organization to direct their thinking. <ref>[http://www.iea.org.uk/files/upld-publication43pdf?.pdf ''Road to Serfdom'',] Friedrich A. Hayek, Reader's Digest Condensed Version, April 1945, pg. 35-36.</ref>

After Germany was united by Bismarck in what was to become the second German Reich, [[Bismarck]] determined German politics until the young Kaiser Wilhelm II came to the throne. Bismarck tried to foster alliances in Europe to one hand to contain the ambitions of France on one hand, and on on the other hand to consolidate Germany's influence in Europe.  On the domestic front Bismarck tried to stem the rise of socialism by enacting anti-socialist laws, combined with an introduction of health care and social security. At the same time Bismarck tried to reduce the political influence of the emancipating catholic minority in what was dubbed the Kulturkampf, literally "culture struggle". He later softened his stance on the Catholics because he needed the support of the Catholic Zentrum Party.  

Aggressive nationalism fostered under the second empire of 1871, given greater impetus by the hubris of Kaiser Wilhelm II, and perverted into Nazism by the shock of defeat and the economic travails of the 1920s immersed Germany in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious [[Allied powers]] of the [[USA]], [[UK]], [[France]], and the [[Soviet Union]] in 1945.

After the death on Kaiser Wilhelm I, and his ailing successor of three months Friedrich II in 1888, the young and ambitious [[Kaiser Wilhelm II] became emperor. It was obvious that it was just a matter of time until Bismarck and the young Kaiser would come into conflict. Most notably, the young Kaiser opposed Bismarck's careful foreign policy and wanted Germany to pursue colonialist policies as well as a navy that could match the British.  Bismarck eventually resigned  as chancellor in 1890 when an attempt to establish a working relationship with the Zentrum Party was thwarted by Willem II. After Bismarck's departure Wilhelm II engaged in active colonisation of Africa and Asia, a uni-lateral approach in Europe with as main ally the austro-Hungarian Ampire, and an arms race with Britain, which eventually led to the events that sparked off [[World War I]].

===Post WWII History===

===Post WWII History===