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Every year the plans were updated and increased in complexity. Each country stockpiled arms and supplies for an army that ran into the millions. Germany in 1874 had a regular professional army of 420,000, with an additional 1.3 million reserves. By 1897, the regular German army was 545,000 strong and the reserves 3.4 million.
Out of a population of 65 million, Germany suffered 1.7 million military deaths and 430,000 civilian deaths due to wartime causes (especially the food blockade), plus about 17,000 killed in Africa and the other overseas colonies. [41] The Allied blockade continued until July 1919, causing severe additional hardships. [42]
Also on 9 November, Max von Baden handed the office of chancellor to Friedrich Ebert, a Social Democrat who the same day became co-chair of the Council of the People's Deputies. [24] Two days later, on behalf of the new government, Matthias Erzberger of the Catholic Centre Party signed the armistice at Compiègne.
Before World War II, the events of 1914–1918 were generally known as the Great War or simply the World War. [1] In August 1914, the magazine The Independent wrote "This is the Great War. It names itself". [2] In October 1914, the Canadian magazine Maclean's similarly wrote, "Some wars name themselves. This is the Great War."
The end of World War I became official on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. [91] It was the largest war ever fought until World War II 21 years later, with 40 million recorded military and civilian casualties including 9 to 15 million combat deaths. [92]
Germany quickly remilitarized, annexed its German-speaking neighbors and invaded Poland, triggering World War II. During the war, the Nazis established a systematic genocide program known as the Holocaust which killed 11 million people, including 6 million Jews (representing 2/3rds of the European Jewish population). By 1944, the German Army ...
The treaty stripped Germany of 65,000 km 2 (25,000 sq mi) of territory and 7 million people. It also required Germany to give up the gains made via the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and grant independence to the protectorates that had been established. [71]
German reunification: Five East German states acceded to West Germany. Berlin became the capital of Germany. 1992: 7 February: The Maastricht Treaty establishing the European Union (EU) was signed by twelve European countries including Germany. 1993: 14 May: Alliance '90/The Greens was established from the merger of Alliance 90 and the Green ...