Every nation in the world has a rich and intriguing history, but that of Germany really stands out – especially in recent times.

At the heart of Europe yet ravaged by war, it is a history plagued with difficult obstacles – all of which have been overcome.

Events in Germany shaped much of Europe, and indeed the world, from the 19th century onwards and here are a few of them – crammed into seven of the most defining...

The Berlin Conference

The Berlin Conference in 1884 ultimately led to the Scramble for Africa, when European superpowers annexed large parts of the continent to boost their economic reach and nationalistic agendas. A driver of colonial activity, only two countries in Africa were left independent in 1914 – Liberia and Ethiopia. The General Act of the Berlin Conference paved the way for decades of colonialism and brought war and industrialisation to large swathes of Africa.

The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

The event that pushed the world to war would ultimately impact the country for the best part of the next century. The Archduke’s death, alongside his wife, in Sarajevo in 1914 sparked a turn of events that saw Germany follow the example of her ally Austria-Hungary in declaring war on Serbia.

Serbia’s allies, including Britain, France and Russia, then also declared war, sparking a conflict that would last more than four years, at a cost of millions of lives.

The Versailles Treaty

Signed on the fifth anniversary of the Archduke’s death in the direct aftermath of the First World War, the Versailles Treaty was initially designed to limit German powers and prevent another global conflict. Instead, the conditions and political uncertainty that it created in Germany – then the Weimer Republic – meant the agreement had unintentionally laid the foundations for the rise of Nazism and the path towards the Second World War.

Reichstag Fire

An arson attack on the German government building paved the way for the Nazis to suggest that the Communists were plotting against the government. Hitler, sworn in as Chancellor of Germany just weeks previously, issued a decree to suspend civil liberties which led to a mass arrest of Communists, including parliamentary delegates. Debate still rages over the reason for starting the fire but the Nazis certainly used it as a means of solidifying power.

The death of Adolf Hitler

Hitler’s death, although not the final act of the Second World War, did signal that the end was nigh for his dream of a Third Reich. The end of the dictator ultimately led to German surrender and the end of the war in Europe, enabling the rebuilding of Germany, and the continent, to begin.

West Germany wins the world cup on home soil

Home nation West Germany claimed glory at the 1974 World Cup to be the first side to get their hands on the current FIFA World Cup Trophy – the previous Jules Rimet Trophy was awarded to the Brazilians permanently when they claimed glory for the third time in 1970. Seeing off the Netherlands in the final, the 1974 tournament marked the first time that both East and West Germany had competed.

The collapse of the Berlin Wall

A symbol of the titanic struggle between ideologies form the East and West during the Cold War, the destruction of the Berlin Wall joined East and West Germany again and was a big part of the reunification process that formed the state as it is today.

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