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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
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USEFUL LINKS TO THE PRESENT:
GERMANY: GOVERNMENT, PARTIES & MEDIA
http://www.politicalresources.net/germany.htm
AUSTRIA: GOVERNMENT, PARTIES & MEDIA
http://www.politicalresources.net/austria.htm
EUROPEAN UNION:
ORGANIZATIONS, GOVERNMENTS, PROJECTS
http://www.politicalresources.net/eu.htm
TURKEY: GOVERNMENT, PARTIES & MEDIA
http://www.politicalresources.net/turkey.htm
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for the
BRIEF HISTORY OF GERMANY
& AUSTRIA
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with historical maps and illustrations
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for the
POLITICAL
STRUCTURE OF GERMANY
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for the
POLITICAL
STRUCTURE OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION
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SEE ALSO:
HUNGARY & SLOVAKIA
ISLAMIC
LINKS FOR GERMANY & AUSTRIA
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