Changes

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 Great Britain and France had been doing for quite some time, as well as build 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 for those areas that were not already colonies of other European powers, a mostly uni-lateral approach in Europe with as main ally the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and an arms race with Britain, which eventually led to the situation in which the assassination of the Austrian-Hungarian crown price could spark off [[World War I]].

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 Great Britain and France had been doing for quite some time, as well as build 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 for those areas that were not already colonies of other European powers, a mostly uni-lateral approach in Europe with as main ally the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and an arms race with Britain, which eventually led to the situation in which the assassination of the Austrian-Hungarian crown price could spark off [[World War I]].

==World Wars==

===World Wars===

Germany's involvement and eventual defeat in [[World War I]] led to a harsh turn in German fortunes.  The resulting "peace" where Germany had to pay huge reparations and take full blame for the war left the nation in tatters and bitter.  From an exchange rate of the Germany deutschmark of 3 to the dollar, it eventually fell to over 1 trillion to the dollar.  The monetary system had collapsed.  The stage was set for a struggling artist to rise up on the scene and eventually take control in a country that was desperate to look up to someone who could deliver.  Their economic boom 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 resulting "peace" where Germany had to pay huge reparations and take full blame for the war left the nation in tatters and bitter.  From an exchange rate of the Germany deutschmark of 3 to the dollar, it eventually fell to over 1 trillion to the dollar.  The monetary system had collapsed.  The stage was set for a struggling artist to rise up on the scene and eventually take control in a country that was desperate to look up to someone who could deliver.  Their economic boom and decision to fight [[World War II]] once again left the Germany in ruins, and this time it was split in two.