A Brief History of Germany

The story of Germany, a key player in global diplomatic and economic affairs, is crucial to our understanding of global history and the contemporary world. Covering more than 2,000 years of history, A Brief History of Germany provides a concise account of the events, people, and special customs and traditions that have shaped Germany from ancient times to the present. This new resource provides the key background information readers need to put current global events in historical perspective.

Basic facts, a chronology, a bibliography, and a list of suggested readings round out this insightful and comprehensive resource.

Coverage includes:

• Formation of a distinctive German language and culture during the Germanic migrations and the confrontation with Rome
• Consolidation of medieval principalities in the wake of the collapse of Carolingian authority and the construction of the Holy Roman Empire
• Tumultuous events of the Reformation and the devastation of the Thirty Years' War
• Unification of Germany
• Rise of Prussian imperialism in the 19th century
• The two world wars, the rise of Nazism, and the Holocaust
• Experience of a divided Germany during the cold war
• The country's eventual reunification as the Federal Republic of Germany
• Contemporary Germany.