German History

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.