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]], 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]].

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. As reparations payments couldn't be paid in full through hard currency, compliance was forced through goods such as coal and ore and French occupation of German factories in the Ruhr.  The German economy collapsed and hyper-inflation set in, driving the mark from an exchange rate of 3 to the dollar to 4 trillion to the dollar.  The combination of the Versailles Treaty, which the Germans considered to be harsh and unfair, combined with what was happening to the German nation left the German people bitter and disenchanted.  An introduction of a new currency stabilized the German economy and from 1925 to 1928 as German productivity grew from a value of 70 billion RD to 88 billion RD. This change turned out to be shortlived with the onset of the [[Great Depression]] and renewed hardship.  Germany entered a period of permanent political and constitutional crisis. It was during these difficult years starting with the end of World War I 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.  An economic boom ensued as Hitler pursued an aggressive foreign policy and remilitarization, which eventually led to [[World War II]] and defeat.  Germany was once again in ruins.  

===Post WWII History===

===Post WWII History===

With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western [[Germany|Federal Republic of Germany]] (FRG) and the eastern [[German Democratic Republic]] (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security organizations, the [[EC]], which became the [[European Union]] (EU), and the [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization]] (NATO), while the Communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the [[Cold War]] allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring Eastern infra structure up to Western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European currency, the [[euro]].

With the advent of the [[Cold War]], two German states were formed in 1949: the western [[Germany|Federal Republic of Germany]] (FRG) and the eastern [[German Democratic Republic]] (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security organizations, the [[EC]], which became the [[European Union]] (EU), and the [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization]] (NATO), while the Communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led [[Warsaw Pact]]. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring Eastern infra structure up to Western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European currency, the [[euro]].

==The states (Bundesländer) and their capitals==

==The states (Bundesländer) and their capitals==