Germany is a fairly new country; they were not united until the late 1800s, making

significant events in history all occur in the twentieth century. Prior to being united, Germany
consisted of small states of ethnic groups. Over the span of the last one hundred years, many
turning points have occurred in German history. I selected the seven most significant events in
their history that I believed shaped the nation into the country that it is today. The first most
significant event is World War One. This war is significant to all countries that participated, but
especially to Germany. Germany fought against the Allied powers and ultimately nine million
soldiers died; this was the first global conflict in world history. This marks a significant event
for Germany because of the consequences imposed by France and Britain. Germany was left
with the blame, causing low morale for the nation, as well as an extremely large debt to pay. The
repercussions of the First World War led into the next two significant events.
Hitler and the Nazi party take over Germany in the 1930s; Hitler is a very good public
speaker and boosted the moral of the country. He brought them out of debt and increased their
land. His reign made Germany a powerful country with extreme wealth. He blames the
unfortunate events of the First World War on the Jewish community and begins the Holocaust.
His reign is filled with terror and will not cease until he kills himself at the end of the Second
World War. World War Two marks another significant event in German history. Throughout the
war, the Holocaust was occurring. More than eleven million people were brutally killed from
starvation or gas chambers. Germany started the world war by invading into Poland. This was
the final action that broke the war out, ending the appeasement that the nations were giving to
Germany.
Following the end of the Second World War, Germany is divided in half, Berlin into
quarters. The Allied powers take the west of Germany and refer to it as the Federal Republic of

Germany. The Russians, referring to their new territory as the Communist German Democratic
Republic, take the east. In many areas, it was impossible to pass the border; this division splits
families apart for many years. Finally, in 1989, the Berlin wall comes down. In the years
following, people are allowed to pass from each side and the country becomes unified again.
These are dark times for Germans; since they were united their nation has been in chaos. They
participated in both of the world wars, which had extremely negative repercussions on them.
The effects from the world wars made the country what it is today.
Now, Germany strives to be the best nation it can be and to learn from its unstable past.
All of the events I have previously mentioned have directly molded the country into what it is
today, making those the most significant events in their history. In 2005, the first German
Holocaust museum opened in Berlin to honor the victims. This shows how the country is
attempting to heal itself and learn from its mistakes. Also in 2005, the first female chancellor is
elected, something that the United States cannot compare to. Although all of my events occurred
within the last one hundred years, these are all the most significant events in German history.
Without the last seven events, the country wouldnt be the progressive nation that it is today. The
last one hundred years hold the most significant events in their history; before the twentieth
century Germany was a peaceful and very divided nation.

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