German Empire
German nation-state in Central Europe from 1871 to 1918 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
German nation-state in Central Europe from 1871 to 1918 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The German Empire (German: Deutsches Reich),[lower-alpha 1][16][17][18][19] also referred to as Imperial Germany,[20] the Second Reich[lower-alpha 2][21] or simply Germany, was a country in Europe during the period of the German Reich from 1871 until its dissolution in November 1918. When the German Empire collapsed, it became the Weimar Republic as part of the German Republic.[22][23]
German Empire | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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1871–1918 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Motto: Gott mit uns (German)[3] Nobiscum Deus (Latin) ("God with us") | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Anthem: Heil dir im Siegerkranz[4] ("Hail to Thee in the Victor's Crown") Die Wacht am Rhein (unofficial)[5][6][7] ("The Watch on the Rhine") | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Capital and largest city | Berlin 52°31′7″N 13°22′34″E | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Official languages | German | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Common languages | List
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Religion (1880) | Majority: 62.63% Protestant (United Protestant, Lutheran, Reformed) Minorities: 35.89% Roman Catholic 1.24% Jewish 0.17% other Christian 0.07% other | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Demonym(s) | German | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Government | Federal parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy[8][9][10][11]
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Emperor | |||||||||||||||||||||||
• 1871–1888 | Wilhelm I | ||||||||||||||||||||||
• 1888 | Friedrich III | ||||||||||||||||||||||
• 1888–1918 | Wilhelm II | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Chancellor | |||||||||||||||||||||||
• 1871–1890 | Otto von Bismarck | ||||||||||||||||||||||
• 1890–1894 | Leo von Caprivi | ||||||||||||||||||||||
• 1894–1900 | C. zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst | ||||||||||||||||||||||
• 1900–1909 | Bernhard von Bülow | ||||||||||||||||||||||
• 1909–1917 | T. von Bethmann Hollweg | ||||||||||||||||||||||
• 1917 | Georg Michaelis | ||||||||||||||||||||||
• 1917–1918 | Georg von Hertling | ||||||||||||||||||||||
• 1918 | Max von Baden | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Legislature | Bicameral | ||||||||||||||||||||||
• Upper house | Bundesrat | ||||||||||||||||||||||
• Lower house | Reichstag | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Historical era | New Imperialism • World War I | ||||||||||||||||||||||
18 January 1871 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
• Constitution | 16 April 1871 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
15 November 1884 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
28 July 1914 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
• German Revolution | 3 November 1918 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
• Abdication of Kaiser[13] | 9 November 1918 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
11 November 1918 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
11 August 1919 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Area | |||||||||||||||||||||||
• Total | 1,750,000 km2 (680,000 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1910[14] | 540,857.54 km2 (208,826.26 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Population | |||||||||||||||||||||||
• Estimate | 70,000,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
• 1871[15] | 41,058,792 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
• 1900[15] | 56,367,178 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
• 1910[15] | 64,925,993 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Currency | Until 1873: (1873–1914) German Papiermark (1914–1918) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Area and population not including colonial possessions |
State | Capital | |
---|---|---|
Kingdoms (Königreiche) | ||
Prussia (Preußen) | Berlin | |
Bavaria (Bayern) | Munich | |
Saxony (Sachsen) | Dresden | |
Württemberg | Stuttgart | |
Grand duchies (Großherzogtümer) | ||
Baden | Karlsruhe | |
Hesse (Hessen) | Darmstadt | |
Mecklenburg-Schwerin | Schwerin | |
Mecklenburg-Strelitz | Neustrelitz | |
Oldenburg | Oldenburg | |
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach) | Weimar | |
Duchies (Herzogtümer) | ||
Anhalt | Dessau | |
Brunswick (Braunschweig) | Braunschweig | |
Saxe-Altenburg (Sachsen-Altenburg) | Altenburg | |
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha) | Coburg | |
Saxe-Meiningen (Sachsen-Meiningen) | Meiningen | |
Principalities (Fürstentümer) | ||
Lippe | Detmold | |
Reuss, junior line | Gera | |
Reuss, senior line | Greiz | |
Schaumburg-Lippe | Bückeburg | |
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt | Rudolstadt | |
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen | Sondershausen | |
Waldeck-Pyrmont | Arolsen | |
Free Hanseatic cities (Freie Hansestädte) | ||
Bremen | ||
Hamburg | ||
Lübeck | ||
Imperial territory (Reichsland) | ||
Alsace-Lorraine (Elsaß-Lothringen) | Straßburg |
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