German Empire

### Government

Federal Semi-Constitutional Monarchy under a Nationalist Totalitarian Military Dictatorship

### 1st Head of Government

Erich Ludendorff - President of the Privy Council

### Lower House

Nationalist Military Party Leadership Council

### Sub-divisons

Princely States of Germany
Territory of Alsace-Lorraine

### Puppet States

Imperial State of France
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Kingdom of Finland
Tsardom of Russia
United Baltic Duchy
Kingdom of Poland
Kingdom of Lithuania
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Tsardom of Bulgaria
Kingdom of Romania
Grand Duchy of Belarus
Kingdom of Ukraine
Khanate of Crimea
Emirate of England
Duchy of Wales
Imperial State of Ireland
Maharajhanate of Madagascar

### Colonies

South Germany
German Ost Pacific
German Antarctic
Nordwest Germany

**Germany,** or officially the **German Empire** (German: *Deutsches Kaiserreich*) is a country in Central Europe. The Empire is a semi-constitutional monarchy composed of twenty-seven constituent monarchical states, ruled by the Hohenzollern dynasty. Germany is frequently considered the most powerful country in the world, with its influence stretching across much of the globe. The German Empire was proclaimed on January 18, 1871, in the Hall of Mirrors of Palace of Versailles in the aftermath of the 1871 Franco-Prussian War. As the main victor of World War I, Germany controls a vast overseas empire with colonial holdings in Africa and the Pacific.

## History

### Formation

Under the pressure of Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismarck (the "Iron Chancellor") Germany was finally united: The German Empire was proclaimed in the palace of Louis XIV, Versailles, on January 18, 1871. Wilhelm I, the ruling Kaiser at the time, died on March 9, 1888; his son and heir, Friedrich III, died also only 99 days later, due to incurable throat cancer. Friedrich's son, Wilhelm II, subsequently rose to the throne. Considering Bismarck's foreign policy as too soft, the Kaiser dismissed the Iron Chancellor in 1890, replacing him with more malleable replacements.

### Desire to become Emperor of the Earth

Wilhelm II was obsessed with his colonial ambitions and began a naval rivalry with Britain on the advice of Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, leading to an increasing isolation of a belligerent Germany. Europe came close to war for the first time in 1911 with the Agadir Crisis, when Wilhelm II claimed Morocco. This crisis, adding to the Kaiser's reputation as an irresponsible firebrand, was defused without a war breaking out - but the outbreak had been merely delayed for a few years. However, as history was soon to show, Wilhelm II's gamble would pay off, he would achieve all his aims and more, and even many of his sharpest critics would be forced to admit as much.

### World War I

Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was assassinated in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, by a Serbian revolutionary. One month later, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia in retaliation, and Germany rallied to her side; soon, the German Empire found itself at war against France, Britain, and Russia. Quickly invading Belgium and Luxembourg, the German advance was stopped at the Marne and in Russian Poland, creating the stalemate that would define the war.

In 1917, Russia collapsed into Revolution and thousands of soldiers were transferred from the Eastern Front to the West and South. Germany then annexed Northwest Russia past the Baltic States as a Puppet State ruled by Nicolas II as Tsar and annexed all of West Russia and created puppet states out of Poland, Lithuania, The Balkans, Ukraine and Belarus.

In 1918 Germany caused Wars in Africa and got aid from Japan to invade the colonies of Asia owned by Britain, France and the Netherlands and in return those colonies will belong to Japan with the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and Carolina Islands. They even got aid from Reza Shah who then overthrew the Qajar Dynasty and took over all of Central Asia and India. Austria-Hungary fell with the Ottomans in which Germany and Italy started annexing their territories.

After that Germany then won the war, Germany and it's allies of Italy, Spain, America, Japan and Indo-Persia then split up the world under their control.

### After WWI

On July 24th 1923, after a week of feverish and indecisive campaigning known as Tage der Schreihälse (German: *Days of the Squallers*), the Kaiser finally picked a new Reichskanzler that proved he would be able to use the calls for reform for his own ends: General Paul von Hindenburg.

Paul von Hindenburg, was a legend for the creating Diversity between German and Non-German ethnic peoples of the German Empire and it's puppet states and let the non-German peoples get representation within the Reicstagg. Hindenburg was successful in transforming the Industry into Civilian mode and out of Wartime mode as he also created Veteran reforms to help Veterans have suitable careers and he even helped Germany pay off it's war debts.

Hindenburg embarked on a program of economic decentralization and diversity among the Empire. Coming after a period of internal stagnation, his reforms coincided with the profits of long-term investments in German ruled territories in Europe finally arriving; the result was an economic miracle that would last for the duration of Hindenburg's chancellorship, cementing his immense popularity and reputation as "The Second Bismarck". His diversity policies caused diversity within the Empire's Puppet States and overseas colonies which made resistance and independence movements less frequent.

### Ludendorff Dictatorship

On June 6th, 1930, Reichskanzler Hindenburg died suddenly during a visit to Hamburg (the most diverse city in Germany) as he was assassinated by Jewish Syndicalists. His death caught the government flat-footed; No other politician was even close to being a possible successor. Jewish Syndicalists rioted and raided Hamburg to "punish Germany for beating Britain" because they weren't able to get Israel.

Sadly things went bad as Ludendorff then led a coup with his henchman Adolf Hitler who were leaders of the Nationalist Military Party (a faction consisting of Military Officers and Nationalist Politicians and German Troopers devoted to Germany) then took over the country and declared that they will keep up the golden age caused by Hindenburg if they idolize German pride and get revenge on the Jewish Syndicalists. Sadly this did not stop non German citizens from attacking Jews for ruining the diverse utopia created by Hindenburg.

Before the dictatorship and after the end of the War, Jewish peoples manipulated by the same Jewish Syndicalist Group who killed Hindenburg rioted against the Government after discovering that they let Italy get Palestine and give it to the Arabs and expel Jews to the newly created State of Goshen ruled by Jewish Boer Hans Nicodemus. Adolf Hitler then suggested that they should send Jews to the State and have them killed by the Black Liberation Army to make an excuse to go to war against them and to appease the German Public who want revenge for Hindenburg and fight off the Black Liberation Army.

## Government

Germany is a semi-federal semi-constitutional monarchy ruled by the German Kaiser (the king of Prussia in a permanent personal union). According to the Imperial Constitution of 1871, it's Chancellor and Government are appointed by - and answer only to - the Kaiser, but legislation needs to be approved by the Reichstag, a chamber elected proportionally by universal male suffrage, and the Bundesrat, consisting of representatives from each of the states.

Despite its rather authoritarian nature, the German political system is very much designed in favor of multi-party coalitions, who secure a majority for the Kaiser's Chancellor, thereby gaining a considerable amount of influence on the government's policies. The current Party is the Nationalist Military Party led by Erich Ludendorff and with Adolf Hitler as Prime Minister.

#### **Imperial Reichstag of Germany Administration**

* **Emperor:** Wilhelm II
* **President of the Privy Council:** Erich Ludendorff
* **Prime Minister:** Adolf Hitler
* **Speaker of Parliament:** Alfred Hugenberg
* **Foreign Minister:** Joseph Goebbels
* **Armament Minister:** Hermann Göring
* **Minister of Defense:** Heinrich Himmler
* **Minister of Intelligence:** Ernst Kaltenbrunner
* **Chief of Staff:** Erich Hoepner
* **Chief of the Army:** Rudolf Hess
* **Chief of the Navy:** Karl Dönitz
* **Chief of the Air Force:** Karl Koller

### Executive Branch

The German Empire is a federal semi-constitutional monarchy ruled by the German Kaiser (who is also King of Prussia). Although Germany has many political parties, its state policies remain rather authoritarian, and the Constitution of the Second German Reich has stood in place for 60 years. The Chancellor and Government are appointed by the Kaiser, but legislation needs to be approved by the Reichstag, a chamber elected proportionally by universal male suffrage, and the Bundesrat, consisting of representatives from each of the states, chosen by their state governments. While the Reichstag is far from a rubber-stamp institution, and has become increasingly vocal and assertive over the past thirty years, it is not yet strong enough that it can actually bring down a Government. The relative weakness of the Reichstag has meant that a wide range of political activist pressure groups have sprung up, attempting to push forward a range of economic, political and sectional causes.

### Legislative Branch

The Legislative Branch consists of Princely States. The German Empire has 25 constituent Princely states and an Imperial Territory, the largest of which was Prussia. These states, or *Staaten* each had votes in the Bundesrat, which gave them representation at a federal level.

**Kingdoms:**

* Kingdom of Bavaria
* Kingdom of Prussia - Directly ruled by Emperor of Germany (itself subdivided into provinces; included the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg ruled in personal union until annexed 1 July 1876)
* Kingdom of Saxony
* Kingdom of Württemberg

**Grand Duchy:**

* Grand Duchy of Baden
* Grand Duchy of Hesse
* Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
* Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
* Grand Duchy of Oldenburg
* Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (officially the Grand Duchy of Saxony from 1903)

**Duchy:**

* Duchy of Anhalt
* Duchy of Brunswick
* Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg
* Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
* Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen

**Principalities:**

* Principality of Lippe
* Principality of Reuss-Gera (Junior Line)
* Principality of Reuss-Greiz (Senior Line)
* Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe
* Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
* Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
* Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont

**Imperial Territories**

* Alsace-Lorraine
* South Germany
* German Ost Pacific
* German Antarctica
* German Newfoundland

### Puppet States

Germany after winning the war had gained a horde of Puppet States in Europe, Africa and Asia. These Puppet States are organized in five sections which are Westuropa, Mittluropa, Easturopa, Mittelmeer, Mittleasia. These sections are ruled by Reichkommissars who answer to regional Statthalters who are in charge of these five sections. The Statthalters then report to the Prime Minister's Cabinet as the Prime Minister reports the daily reports to the President of the Privy Council and the Emperor.

#### **German Puppet States by Regional Sections**

Westuropa

* Imperial State of France
* Emirate of England
* Duchy of Wales
* Imperial State of Ireland
* Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
* Kingdom of the Netherlands

Mittleuropa

* Austro-Hungarian Empire
* Kingdom of Poland
* Kingdom of Lithuania

Easturopa

* United Baltic Duchy
* Tsardom of Russia
* Grand Duchy of Belarus
* Kingdom of Ukraine
* Khanate of Crimea
* Tsardom of Bulgaria

Mittleasia

* Maharajhanate of Madagascar

Ostpacific

* Tongan Empire

## Military

### Army

The *Deutsches Heer* (German Army) is the second-largest army in the world, behind the Soviet Union. However, it has been plagued by hastily-suppressed scandals in last few years, indicating that military doctrine and training have not kept pace with the swollen military budget and the fact they have taken charge of the government. The Army is currently led by Rudolf Hess, a member of the Nationalist Military Party appointed by Prime Minister Hitler and Ludendorff.

Most of Germany's ground forces are centralized in Europe, in line with a defense plan created in the late 1920s by *Reichskanzler* Alfred von Tirpitz. Flanders-Wallonia and the currently mothballed Ludendorff Line in Elsass-Lothringen form the basis of defense in the west, while the many Eastern European satellites act as buffer states against Russia in the east. The security of the colonies, save for strategic garrisons in Morocco, Bengle, the Pacific islands, and West Africa, are entrusted to private militias raised and maintained by Westuropa, Mittleuropa, Easturopa and South Germany (Nordafrica, Mittleafrica and Sudafrica.)

### Navy

The Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) is the largest and arguably the most powerful navy in the world. Despite this, it's supremacy compared to other contemporary navies is not of the same scale as that of the British Royal Navy before the Weltkrieg. Boasting the largest, albeit dated, battleship fleet in the world, the *Kaiserliche Marine* is also one of the few navies in the world to possess aircraft carriers. With bases around the world, the *Kaiserliche Marine* is the German Empire's main method of enforcing the German interests abroad and maintaining security among the vulnerable sea lanes that transport goods to and from the colonies. The *Kaiserliche Marine* is currently headed by Karl Dönitz.

Most of Germany's Navy Forces in South Germany and the German Ost Pacific consist of Arab, African and Pacific Islander Pirates who are loyal to the German Navy and are used to attack enemies of the Imperial Navy and help the Imperial control the trade routes in the ocean and attack people who are spotted transporting goods that Germany does not want transported.

### Air Force

The *Luftstreitkräfte* (Air Defense Force) is the largest air force in the world, the *Luftstreitkräfte* very much focuses on supporting army operations with a considerable fleet of tactical bombers. The force also maintains a presence abroad, most prominently at Tsingtau, where a large air contingent is located. The Air Force is led by Karl Koller.

## Economy

By 1900, Germany became the largest economy in continental Europe and the third-largest in the world behind the United States and the British Empire, which were also its main economic rivals. Throughout its existence, it experienced economic growth and modernization led by heavy industry. In 1871, it had a largely rural population of 41 million, while by 1913, this had increased to a predominantly urban population of 68 million. After winning the War Germany then became the first largest economy in the world.

### Industrial Power

For 30 years, Germany struggled against Britain to be Europe's leading industrial power. Representative of Germany's industry was the steel giant Krupp, whose first factory was built in Essen. By 1902, the factory alone became "A great city with its own streets, its own police force, fire department and traffic laws. There are 150 kilometers of rail, 60 different factory buildings, 8,500 machine tools, seven electrical stations, 140 kilometers of underground cable, and 46 overhead."

Under Bismarck, Germany was a world innovator in building the welfare state. German workers enjoyed health, accident and maternity benefits, canteens, changing rooms, and a national pension scheme. Now after winning World War I, Germany then became the leading industrial power in the world competing with the United States of America.

### Industry

Industrialization progressed dynamically in Germany, and German manufacturers began to capture domestic markets from British imports, and also to compete with British industry abroad, particularly in the U.S. The German textile and metal industries had by 1870 surpassed those of Britain in organisation and technical efficiency and superseded British manufacturers in the domestic market. Germany became the dominant economic power on the continent and was the second largest exporting nation after Britain.

Technological progress during German industrialization occurred in four waves: the railway wave (1877–1886), the dye wave (1887–1896), the chemical wave (1897–1902), and the wave of electrical engineering (1903–1918). Since Germany industrialised later than Britain, it was able to model its factories after those of Britain, thus making more efficient use of its capital and avoiding legacy methods in its leap to the envelope of technology. Germany invested more heavily than the British in research, especially in chemistry, motors and electricity. Germany's dominance in physics and chemistry was such that one-third of all Nobel Prizes went to German inventors and researchers. The German cartel system (known as *Konzerne*), being significantly concentrated, was able to make more efficient use of capital. Germany was not weighted down with an expensive worldwide empire that needed defense. Following Germany's annexation of Alsace-Lorraine in 1871, it absorbed parts of what had been France's industrial base.

By 1900, the German chemical industry dominated the world market for synthetic dyes. The three major firms BASF, Bayer and Hoechst produced several hundred different dyes, along with the five smaller firms. In 1913, these eight firms produced almost 90% of the world supply of dyestuffs and sold about 80% of their production abroad. The three major firms had also integrated upstream into the production of essential raw materials and they began to expand into other areas of chemistry such as pharmaceuticals, photographic film, agricultural chemicals and electrochemicals. Top-level decision-making was in the hands of professional salaried managers; leading Chandler to call the German dye companies "the world's first truly managerial industrial enterprises". There were many spinoffs from research—such as the pharmaceutical industry, which emerged from chemical research.

### Kulturekamph

Prussia in 1871 included 16,000,000 Protestants, both Reformed and Lutheran, and 8,000,000 Catholics. Most people were generally segregated into their own religious worlds, living in rural districts or city neighbourhoods that were overwhelmingly of the same religion, and sending their children to separate public schools where their religion was taught. There was little interaction or intermarriage. On the whole, the Protestants had a higher social status, and the Catholics were more likely to be peasant farmers or unskilled or semiskilled industrial workers. In 1870, the Catholics formed their own political party, the Centre Party, which generally supported unification and most of Bismarck's policies. However, Bismarck distrusted parliamentary democracy in general and opposition parties in particular, especially when the Centre Party showed signs of gaining support among dissident elements such as the Polish Catholics in Silesia. A powerful intellectual force of the time was anti-Catholicism, led by the liberal intellectuals who formed a vital part of Bismarck's coalition. They saw the Catholic Church as a powerful force of reaction and anti-modernity, especially after the proclamation of papal infallibility in 1870, and the tightening control of the Vatican over the local bishops.

The Kulturkampf launched by Bismarck 1871–1880 affected Prussia; although there were similar movements in Baden and Hesse, the rest of Germany was not affected. According to the new imperial constitution, the states were in charge of religious and educational affairs; they funded the Protestant and Catholic schools. In July 1871 Bismarck abolished the Catholic section of the Prussian Ministry of ecclesiastical and educational affairs, depriving Catholics of their voice at the highest level. The system of strict government supervision of schools was applied only in Catholic areas; the Protestant schools were left alone.

Much more serious were the May laws of 1873. One made the appointment of any priest dependent on his attendance at a German university, as opposed to the seminaries that the Catholics typically used. Furthermore, all candidates for the ministry had to pass an examination in German culture before a state board which weeded out intransigent Catholics. Another provision gave the government a veto power over most church activities. A second law abolished the jurisdiction of the Vatican over the Catholic Church in Prussia; its authority was transferred to a government body controlled by Protestants.

Nearly all German bishops, clergy, and laymen rejected the legality of the new laws, and were defiant in the face of heavier and heavier penalties and imprisonments imposed by Bismarck's government. By 1876, all the Prussian bishops were imprisoned or in exile, and a third of the Catholic parishes were without a priest. In the face of systematic defiance, the Bismarck government increased the penalties and its attacks, and were challenged in 1875 when a papal encyclical declared the whole ecclesiastical legislation of Prussia was invalid, and threatened to excommunicate any Catholic who obeyed. There was no violence, but the Catholics mobilized their support, set up numerous civic organizations, raised money to pay fines, and rallied behind their church and the Centre Party. The "Old Catholic Church", which rejected the First Vatican Council, attracted only a few thousand members. Bismarck, a devout pietistic Protestant, realized his Kulturkampf was backfiring when secular and socialist elements used the opportunity to attack all religion. In the long run, the most significant result was the mobilization of the Catholic voters, and their insistence on protecting their religious identity. In the elections of 1874, the Centre party doubled its popular vote, and became the second-largest party in the national parliament—and remained a powerful force for the next 60 years, so that after Bismarck it became difficult to form a government without their support.

### Railway Industry

Lacking a technological base at first, the Germans imported their engineering and hardware from Britain but quickly learned the skills needed to operate and expand the railways. In many cities, the new railway shops were the centers of technological awareness and training, so that by 1850, Germany was self-sufficient in meeting the demands of railroad construction, and the railways were a major impetus for the growth of the new steel industry. However, German unification in 1870 stimulated consolidation, nationalisation into state-owned companies, and further rapid growth. Unlike the situation in France, the goal was support of industrialisation, and so heavy lines crisscrossed the Ruhr and other industrial districts and provided good connections to the major ports of Hamburg and Bremen. By 1880, Germany had 9,400 locomotives pulling 43,000 passengers and 30,000 tons of freight, and forged ahead of France. The total length of German railroad tracks expanded from 21,000 kilometers in 1871 to 63,000 kilometers by 1913, establishing the largest rail network in the world after the United States, and effectively surpassing the 32,000 kilometers of rail that connected Britain in the same year.

## Demographics

### Religion

Generally, religious demographics of the early modern period hardly changed. Still, there were almost entirely Catholic areas (Lower and Upper Bavaria, northern Westphalia, Upper Silesia, etc.) and almost entirely Protestant areas (Schleswig-Holstein, Pomerania, Saxony, etc.). Confessional prejudices, especially towards mixed marriages, were still common. Bit by bit, through internal migration, religious blending was more and more common. In eastern territories, confession was almost uniquely perceived to be connected to one's ethnicity and the equation "Protestant = German, Catholic = Polish" was held to be valid. In areas affected by immigration in the Ruhr area and Westphalia, as well as in some large cities, religious landscape changed substantially. This was especially true in largely Catholic areas of Westphalia, which changed through Protestant immigration from the eastern provinces.

Politically, the confessional division of Germany had considerable consequences. In Catholic areas, the Centre Party had a big electorate. On the other hand, Social Democrats and Free Trade Unions usually received hardly any votes in the Catholic areas of the Ruhr. This began to change with the secularization arising in the last decades of the German Empire.

In Germany's overseas colonial empire, millions of subjects practiced various indigenous religions in addition to Christianity. Over two million Muslims also lived under German colonial rule, primarily in both South Germany and Bengale.