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Ancient, Medieval and
Modern History
Germany was a confederation of Germanic nations that occupied
both banks of the Rhine, which seems to have been formed in
the times of Marcus Aurelius. This group of nations was defeated
by Claude II the Gothic in 269, by Probo in 276 and by Julianus
in 355 and 360. They tried to settle in Gaul but were defeated
in 196 at the Battle of Tolbiac. Only after Charlemagne managed
to group together the tribes that populated his territory
in the early 9 th Century, can the notion of a Germany be
perceived.
During the Middle Ages, the country was again divided until
in 962 Otto the Great founded the Holy Roman Empire. From
then on various different dynasties reigned the country, the
Houses of Franconia and Hohenstaufen succeeding the House
of Saxony. The princes' positions were becoming ever stronger
as time passed until they themselves elected the king; therein
lies the term used to refer to them: electors. Their importance
grew with the Habsburgs, who enhanced their position by means
of a convenient marriage policy.
The Empire climaxed with the coronation of
Charles the Fifth, in the House of Austria. This peak lasted
until the Reformist movement came about, bringing with it
the Thirty Years War (1618) and the War of Spanish Succession
(1701), which swept over the Empire and broke it apart, to
which problems from the French Revolution were also added.
