Changes

===World Wars===

===World Wars===

Germany's involvement and eventual defeat in [[World War I]] led to a harsh turn in German fortunes. The government of the German Kaiser was replaced by the [[Weimar Republic]].  The resulting "peace" established by the [[Treaty of Versailles]] forced Germany to take full blame for the war and to pay huge reparations to the allied victors. The German economy collapsed under the burden as the mark went from an exchange rate of 3 to the dollar to 4 trillion to the dollar and left the German people bitter and disenchanted.  A stabilizing of the economy under a new currency again collapsed with the onset of the [[Great Depression]]. It was during these difficult years that new voices rose up in Germany, one of which was from a struggling artist turned revolutionist named [[Adolf Hitler]].  Hitler slowly gained followers and rose to a prominent place in the government before finally taking control in a country that was desperate to look up to someone to restore national pride.  The economic boom that occurred and decision to fight [[World War II]] once again left the Germany in ruins, and this time it was split in two.

Germany's involvement and eventual defeat in [[World War I]] led to a harsh turn in German fortunes. The government of the German Kaiser was replaced by the [[Weimar Republic]], and the new social-democratic government had to accept the resulting "peace" established by the [[Treaty of Versailles]]; it forced Germany to take full blame for the war and to pay huge reparations to the allied victors. In part due to the reparation payments - some of which had to be payed in goods, coal, and ore - hyper-inflation set in and the German economy collapsed. The mark went from an exchange rate of 3 to the dollar to 4 trillion to the dollar and left the German people bitter and disenchanted.  A stabilizing of the economy led to a period of economic and cultural property, a period know as the golden 20s in Berlin. Democracy however never gained deep support, and with the onset of the [[Great Depression]], Germany entered a period of permanent political and constitutional crisis. It was during these difficult years that new voices rose up in Germany, one of which was from a struggling artist turned revolutionist named [[Adolf Hitler]].  Hitler slowly gained followers and rose to a prominent place in the government before finally taking control in a country that was desperate to look up to someone to restore national pride.  Hitler pursued an aggressive foreign policy and remilitarization, which eventually led to [[World War II]].

===Post WWII History===

===Post WWII History===