German Empire

The **German Empire** (), also referred to as **Imperial Germany**, the **Second Reich** or simply **Germany**, was a country in Europe during the period of the German Reich from 1871 to its dissolution in November 1918. When the German Empire collapsed, it became the Weimar Republic, a republic.

## Related pages

- Germany
- Holy Roman Empire
- Nazi Germany

## Infobox (country)

- **conventional long name**: German Empire
- **common name**: German Reich
- **image flag**: Flag of Germany (1867–1918).svg
- **image coat**: Wappen Deutsches Reich - Reichsadler 1889.svg
- **symbol type**: Coat of arms of Germany#German Empire, Coat of arms
(1889–1918)
- **symbol type article**: Coat of arms
(1889–1919)
- **national motto**: **' (German)
**' (Latin language, Latin)
("God with us")
- **national anthem**: **'
("Hail to Thee in the Victor's Crown")
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 <small>(unofficial)</small>
("The Watch on the Rhine")
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- **image map2**:
- **capital**: Berlin

- **largest city**: capital
- **official languages**: Standard German, German
- **religion**: **Majority:**

(United Protestant, Lutheranism, Lutheran, Calvinism, Reformed)
**Minorities:**
35.89% Catholic Church, Roman Catholic
 1.24% Jewish
 0.17% other Christians, Christian
 0.07% other
- **demonym**: German
- **government type**: Federal monarchy, Federal Parliamentary system, parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy
* Under a military dictatorship
(1916–1918)
- **legislature**: Bicameral
- **upper house**: Bundesrat (German Empire), Bundesrat
- **lower house**: Reichstag (German Empire), Reichstag
- **area km2**: 1,750,000
- **population estimate**: 70,000,000
- **currency**: German gold mark
(1873–1914)
German Papiermark, German
(1914–1918)
- **footnotes**: Area and population not including German colonial empire, colonial possessions
- **life span**: 1871–1918
- **flag type**: Flag of the German Empire, Flag
- **image map2 caption**: The German colonial empire in 1914
- **religion year**: 1880
- **title leader**: German Emperor, Emperor
- **year leader1**: 1871–1888
- **leader1**: William I, German Emperor, Wilhelm I
- **year leader2**: 1888
- **leader2**: Frederick III, German Emperor, Friedrich III
- **year leader3**: 1888–1918
- **leader3**: Wilhelm II
- **title deputy**: List of chancellors of Germany#German Empire, Reichskanzler (1871–1918), Chancellor
- **year deputy1**: 1871–1890
- **deputy1**: Otto von Bismarck
- **year deputy2**: 1890–1894
- **deputy2**: Leo von Caprivi
- **year deputy3**: 1894–1900
- **year deputy4**: 1900–1909
- **deputy4**: Bernhard von Bülow
- **year deputy5**: 1909–1917
- **deputy5**: Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg, T. von Bethmann Hollweg
- **year deputy6**: 1917
- **deputy6**: Georg Michaelis
- **type house1**: Upper house
- **type house2**: Lower house
- **event start**: Unification of Germany, Unification
- **date start**: 18 January 1871
- **event2**: Constitution of the German Empire, Constitution
- **date event2**: 16 April 1871
- **event3**: Berlin Conference
- **event4**: World War I, WWI began
- **date event4**: 28 July 1914
- **event5**: German Revolution of 1918–1919, German Revolution
- **date event5**: 3 November 1918
- **date event6**: 9 November 1918
- **event end**: Weimar Constitution
- **date end**: 11 August 1919
- **stat area3**: 540857.54
- **stat year1**: **1871**
- **stat year2**: **1900**
- **stat year3**: **1910'''
- **stat pop1**: 41,058,792
- **stat pop2**: 56,367,178
- **stat pop3**: 64,925,993
- **p1**: North German Confederation
- **s1**: Weimar Republic
- **flag p1**: Flag of the German Empire.svg
- **flag p2**: Flag of Bavaria (striped).svg
- **p2**: Kingdom of BavariaBavaria
- **flag p3**: Flagge Königreich Württemberg.svg
- **p3**: Kingdom of WürttembergWürttemberg
- **flag p4**: Flagge Großherzogtum Baden (1891–1918).svg
- **p4**: Grand Duchy of BadenBaden
- **flag p5**: Flagge Großherzogtum Hessen ohne Wappen.svg
- **p5**: Grand Duchy of HesseHesse
- **flag s1**: Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg
- **flag s2**: Flag of the Klaipėda Region.svg
- **s2**: Klaipėda RegionMemel Territory
- **flag s3**: Flag of Saar 1920-1935.svg
- **s3**: Territory of the Saar Basin
- **flag s4**: Flag of the Free City of Danzig.svg
- **s4**: Free City of DanzigDanzig
- **era**: New ImperialismWorld War I
- **date event7**: 11 November 1918
- **deputy7**: Georg von Hertling
- **year deputy7**: 1917–1918
- **deputy8**: Prince Maximilian of Baden, Max von Baden
- **year deputy8**: 1918