GERMANY & AUSŇRIA

 

 

       

                                                      

 

Germany… a big country in the very centre of Europe...

 

Until quite recently (1871), a motley kilt of hundreds of medium-size, small and midget-size states. After 1871 turned itself into a superpower and became one of the biggest empires of Europe (excluding Russia and Austria-Hungary). In 1914 got involved into World War I although not initiated it as it is commonly believed. In 1918 initiated the end of the war although her troops were stationed far beyond her state borders. In spite of that, treated as a defeated power and deprived of all the colonies, as well as the considerable chunks of territory. In addition, enormous financial obligations were imposed on Germany that completely destroyed her national economy.

 

In 1933 extreme nationalists (Hitler’s NSDAP) came to power in Germany turning to political and ethnic terror and unleashing the process of ending democracy all over Europe through military expansion. In 1939 triggered World War II in Europe to be defeated in 1945 by British-American-Soviet alliance. Lost one-third of her territory to the USSR and Soviet satellites accompanied by ethnic cleansing in the lost provinces, the remaining territory being occupied by the victorious Allies and later on partitioned into Federal Republic of Germany (BRD) and Soviet satellite “German Democratic Republic” (DDR). Unified in 1990, as a result of the collapse of Communism in Europe.

 

Austria… the last multi-ethnic and multi-cultural empire of Europe of medieval type…

 

For more than 200 years, millions of German-speaking Austrians, Czechs, Hungarians, Croatians, Slovenians, Bosnians, Serbs, Poles, Ukrainians, Romanians, Italians and other ethnic groups as well as former and would-be nations lived united under one crown. Collapsed as a result of World War I. Attempted to unite with Germany but not allowed by the Allies.  Annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938 and re-gained independence in 1945.

 

Both Germany and Austria are EU member-states. Both are facing the crisis of welfare-state and other typical problems of the European Union including the waves of third-world immigration changing the face of the countries and rising xenophobia and intolerance on both sides of the conflict.

 

This site contains lots of information on history of the area including rare historical maps, as well as the explanation of their political structure and many links to further useful information.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

FOR GERMANY/AUSTRIA-RELATED ARTICLES

 

 

 

 

USEFUL LINKS TO THE PRESENT:

Drapeau animé d'Allemagne par Pascal Gross

GERMANY: GOVERNMENT, PARTIES & MEDIA

http://www.politicalresources.net/germany.htm

 

Drapeau animé d'Autriche par Pascal Gross

AUSTRIA: GOVERNMENT, PARTIES & MEDIA

http://www.politicalresources.net/austria.htm 

 

EUROPEAN UNION:
ORGANIZATIONS, GOVERNMENTS, PROJECTS

http://www.politicalresources.net/eu.htm 

 

Drapeau animé de Turquie par Pascal Gross

TURKEY: GOVERNMENT, PARTIES & MEDIA

http://www.politicalresources.net/turkey.htm

 

 

  

 

 

for the

 

BRIEF HISTORY OF GERMANY & AUSTRIA

 

with historical maps and  illustrations

 

 

 

  

 for the

POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF GERMANY

 

Bundestag, Berlín

 

 

 

 for the

POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF THE

EUROPEAN UNION

 

European Parliament in Strasbourg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
SEE ALSO:   
 
THE BALTIC STATES
POLAND
UKRAINE
HUNGARY & SLOVAKIA

 

 

 

 

 

ISLAMIC LINKS FOR GERMANY & AUSTRIA