History of Germany

History of Germany in the B.C. Era
The name, Germany is derived from the tribes which were known as the Germanic tribes. The Germanic tribes have been named so because of their distinct war cry, 'gar', which means 'a spear' in some of the local tribal dialects. The roots of the history of Germany can be traced back to the era of these Germanic tribes. It is believed that the tribes occupied the northern regions of central Europe in the Nordic Bronze age. These tribes initially resided in the regions of Scandinavia and northern Germany. Due to their expansionist activities in the present day southern Germany, they openly challenged the might of the Roman Empire. In the history of Germany between 500 B.C and 8 B.C., frequent conflicts between the Germanic tribes and the Roman army were witnessed. The Germanic tribes also started the confederations of Cimbri, Teutoni and Helvetii in 109 B.C.

History of Germany from 1 A.D. to 800 A.D.
The Battle of Teutoburg Forest is considered as one of the most important battles in the history of Germany due to the fact that it established a border between the Germanic tribes and the Roman empire. The construction of the great upper Germanic Limes began in this era.

Another important battle was fought on the banks of the Weser river in the 16 A.D. The battle was fought between the Cherusci tribe and the Romans. The Cherusci tribe was led by Arminius who was their chieftain. The rebellion of Batavia against the Roman empire immediately followed in 69 A.D. The defeat of the Romans brought about by Prince Gaius Julius Civilis was rather humiliating. In the year 90 A.D. the German provinces of Germania Superior and Inferior were integrated as parts of the Imperial Roman Provinces.

The region of Germania was very peaceful till 268 A.D. as no major battles were fought during this period. This period is considered to be very important from the point of view of the history of Germany because the tribes of Germania started making their own settlements across the northern parts of Germany. However peace did not prevail long in the provinces of Germania as the Germanic tribes were determined to drive out the Romans out of their homeland.

The Battle of Lake Benacus was fought between the armies of Rome under the command of Emperor Claudius II and the tribes of Germania led by Alamanni. In the same year, the battle of Naissus saw the defeat of a Gothic coalition at the hands of the Roman army. In 300 A.D., the period of Völkerwanderung began.This period witnessed many migrations across Europe. These migrations however had a very profound effect on the demography and population distribution of central Europe. The causes of the migration period are varied. The major cause was however the expansionist invasions carried out by the Huns, Turks, Mongols and the Ottomans. In the year 496 A.D. the battle of Tolbiac was fought between the Germanic Alamanni and the Franks who were led by Clovis I.

The significance of the battles of Teutoburg Forest, Weser river, and Lake Benacus was that the Germanic tribes formed alliances between themselves. The tribes also managed to settle down forming the first official and permanent entity as a state. The Germanic tribes also discovered the techniques of Roman armies. The weaknesses of the Roman army were also attacked by the Germanic tribes. Skills of these fierce warriors were so legendary that when the news of the battle of Teutoburg forest reached Rome, Emperor Augustus banged his head on a wall and kept on shouting, "Quintili Vare, legiones redde!" ( Quintilius Varus, give me back my legions).

Era of Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire
In 800 A.D., in the history of Germany, the whole German empire was unified for the first time under the rule of Charlemagne. He was crowned as the Imperator Romanorum. Charlemagne, who was also one of the greatest generals in the history of Germany, was successful in his conquest of the Saxons. During the regime of Charlemagne, almost the whole of present day Germany came under his rule. In addition to that the he also ruled the central and the northern parts of the present-day Italy. Subsequently Charlemagne also conquered several other small-sized territories. In the centuries to come, Germany remained the biggest state or province of the Holy Roman Empire. Charlemagne is considered as the first Holy Roman Emperor.

The Treaty of Verdun and the Treaty of Mersen, eventually, split the empire into three parts. The divided empire of Charlemagne was however unified by Otto I. He was crowned as the Holy Roman Emperor on 2nd February, 962 A.D.

With the coronation of Otto I, the province of Germany which was named as the Holy Roman empire entered a golden period. This era that started in the reign of Charlemagne ended after Charles V abdicated. After his abdication, Ferdinand, Charles' brother, started yet another era in the history of Germany that transformed Germany into a modernized nation.

The era of monarchs ended after the First World War. The Second World War almost destroyed Germany and is one of the darkest spots in the history of Germany. However, Germany, like the rest of the European powers has recovered from the man-made disasters resulting from World War II. The German population also underwent a tiring period when the East and West Germany were partitioned. The people of Germany, however, craved to be united once again and wanted to gain a respectable position for their beloved nation. Today, Germany dominates the intellectual world as the Germans have achieved undisputed success in many fields, especially in sectors like engineering and automotive industry. The citizens of Germany also love their environment and go out of their way to protect it. In the international community, Germany, is one of the most respected nations with a glorious history.