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Germany 
 
[Emperor's Banner until 1401 (Holy Roman Empire, Germany)]
                  962 - 1401
      Holy Roman Emperor's flag
 
 
 
 
[Germany 1871-1921,  N. Ger. Confed. 1867-1870]
              1 Jul 1867 - 16 Apr 1871 
           (North German Confederation);
             16 Apr 1871 - 31 Dec 1921;
             11 Mar 1933 - 15 Sep 1935
                     (co-national flag)
 
[Germany]
               9 Mar 1848 - 15 Aug 1852
               (German Reich -Frankfurt);
             14 Aug 1919 - 11 Mar 1933
 
 
 
[Third Reich 1933-1945 (Germany)]
              11 Mar 1933 - 23 May 1945
           (co-national flag to 15 Sep 1935)
 
[C-Ensign]
            12 Nov 1945 - 14 Aug 1950 
               Provisional Civil Ensign
 
[Germany]
                  Re-adopted 9 May 1949 
            ("West Germany" to 3 Oct 1990)
 
Map of Germany
Hear National Anthem
"Lied der Deutschen"
(Song of the Germans)
Text of Anthem
Adopted 3 Oct 1990
Constitution
 (23 May 1949)
Capital: Berlin
(some ministries
remain in Bonn)
Currency: Euro (EUR);
1948 - 1 Jan 2002 
Deutsche Mark (DEM)
 National Holiday:  3 Oct (1990)
German Unity Day
Population: 82,400,996 (2007)
GDP: $2.58 trillion (2006) 
Exports: $1.13 trillion (2006)
Imports: $916 billion (2006) 
Ethnic groups: German 88.2%, Turkish 3.4% (Kurdish 0.7%),
Italian 1%, Greek 0.7%, Serb 0.6%, Russian 0.6%,
Polish 0.4%, other 5.1% (2000) 
Total Armed Forces: 284,500 (2003)
U.S. Troops: 75,600 (2004)
Merchant marine: 394 ships (2006)
Religions: Christian 75.8% (of which Protestant 35.6%
[Lutheran 33.9%], Roman Catholic 33.5%, Orthodox 0.9%,
other Christian 4.9%, independent Christian 0.9%), Muslim 4.4%, 
 Jewish 0.1%, atheist 2.2%, non-religious 17.2%, other 0.3% (2000)
International Organizations/Treaties: AC (observer), AfDB, ADB, AG, ANT, APM, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), BTWC, CBSS, CDB, CE, CTBT, DC, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ENMOD, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO,  Interpol, Intersputnik, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, KP, MIGA, MTCR, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NPT, NSG, NTBT, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI (observer), UN, UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO,  ZC
Germany
Index
Chronology
25 Dec 800                 Holy Roman Empire¹ ("First Reich").
25 Jul 1806                Confederation of the Rhine founded (under French
                             rule). 
 6 Aug 1806                Holy Roman Empire dissolved.
19 Oct 1813                Confederation of the Rhine dissolves.
21 Oct 1813 - 20 Jun 1815  Attempted central coordination.
20 Jun 1815 - 24 Aug 1866  German Confederation; members in official order:
                            (1) Austria²
                            (2) Prussia (announces exit 14 Jun 1866, 
                                permission denied by Federal Assembly 16 
                                Jun 1866).
                            (3) Bavaria (4) Saxony (5) Hanover
                            (6) Württemberg (from 1 Sep 1815)
                            (7) Baden (from 26 Jul 1815)
                            (8) Hesse-Kassel (9) Hesse-Darmstadt
                           (10) Holstein (plus Schleswig from 12 Apr 1848)
                           (11) Luxembourg
                           (12) Limburg (from 5 Sep 1839, see Netherlands)
                           (13) Braunschweig (14) Mecklenburg-Schwerin
                           (15) Nassau-Usingen + Nassau-Weilburg, merged 
                                24 Mar 1816 into Nassau. 
                           (16) Saxe-Weimar (17) Saxe-Gotha 
                           (18) Saxe-Coburg (19) Saxe-Meiningen 
                           (20) Saxe-Hildburghausen
                           (21) Mecklenburg-Strelitz (22) Holstein-Oldenburg
                           (23) Anhalt-Dessau (merged 30 Aug 1863 
                                into Anhalt)
                           (24) Anhalt-Bernburg (same as above)
                           (25) Anhalt-Köthen (same as above)
                           (26) Schwarzburg-Sondershausen 
                           (27) Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
                           (28) Hohenzollern-Hechingen 
                                (annexed by Prussia 12 Mar 1850)
                           (29) Liechtenstein
                           (30) Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
                                (annexed by Prussia 12 Mar 1850)
                           (31) Waldeck (32) Reuss Senior Line 
                           (33) Reuss Junior Line (34) Schaumburg-Lippe
                           (35) Lippe (36) Hesse-Homburg (from 7 Jul 1817) 
                           (37) Lauenburg (38) Lübeck (39) Frankfurt
                           (40) Bremen  (41) Hamburg
12 Jul 1848 - 20 Dec 1849  German Empire (Reich)
                             (officially from 28 Mar 1849).
 1 Jul 1867 -  1 Jan 1871  North German Confederation; members in 
                             official order:
                             (1) Prussia³ (with Lauenburg) (2) Saxony
                             (3) Mecklenburg-Schwerin 
                             (4) Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
                             (5) Mecklenburg-Strelitz (6) Oldenburg
                             (7) Brunswick (8) Saxe-Meiningen
                             (9) Saxe-Altenburg
                            (10) Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (11) Anhalt
                            (12) Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt 
                            (13) Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
                            (14) Waldeck (15) Reuss Senior Line 
                            (16) Reuss Junior Line (17) Schaumburg-Lippe 
                            (18) Lippe (19) Lübeck (20) Bremen (21) Hamburg 
                            (22) Hesse-Darmstadt (only the territories on 
                                 the right bank of the Rhine).
 1 Jan 1871                German Empire ("Second Reich").
18 Jan 1871 - 11 Nov 1918  Alsace-Lorraine annexed from France.
 1 Dec 1918 - 30 Jun 1930  Allied occupation of the Rhineland.
28 Jun 1919                By the Treaty of Versailles, Alsace-Lorraine 
                             restored to France; Eupen-Malmedy and Neutral
                             Moresnet ceded to Belgium; Danzig made a Free
                             City; most of West Prussia, part of Pomerania,
                             Posen, a "Corridor" to the Baltic and part of
                             Upper Silesia (after plebiscite) ceded to 
                             Poland; Memel and the Saarland to be under
                             International administration; Rhineland to be 
                             demilitarized and under Allied occupation; 
                             Northern Schleswig ceded to Denmark after 
                             plebiscite; union with Austria forbidden;
                             and all colonies surrendered to the Allies.
14 Aug 1919                Germany a republic (style German Reich not 
                             officially abandoned) "Weimar Republic"
 2 Aug 1934 -  8 May 1945  "Third Reich"
13 Mar 1938 - 27 Apr 1945  Austria annexed.
21 Oct 1938 -  6 May 1945  Sudetenland annexed from Czechoslovakia.
10 Jul 1939                Style Greater German Reich (Grossdeutsches Reich)
                             only widely used from 1942.
 1 Sep 1939 -  2 Apr 1945  Danzig annexed.
 1 Sep 1939 - Apr 1945     West Prussia, Wartheland (Posen), and Upper 
                             Silesia annexed from Poland.
15 Jun 1940 - 20 Mar 1945  Alsace-Lorraine annexed.
23 May 1945 -  5 May 1955  Allied occupation (formally assuming supreme
                             power 5 Jun 1945).
 1 Aug 1945                Pomerania and Silesia east of the Oder River,
                             West Prussia (2 Apr), Posen and southern 
                             East Prussia (26 Dec) annexed to Poland.
17 Oct 1945                Soviet Union annexes northern East Prussia 
                             (Königsberg).
 7 Sep 1949                Federal Republic of Germany ("West Germany" to
                             3 Oct 1990)
 7 Oct 1949                Soviet backed German Democratic Republic (GDR)
                            ("East Germany") formed in the east.
 3 Oct 1990                East Germany incorporated into the Federal
                             Republic of Germany.
Federal
Republic of
Germany
(since 1949)
German states
before 1918
A - E - F - M
N - Q - R - Z
German States
since 1918
Prussian Provinces
(to 1945)
Holy Roman
Empire
(1576-1806)
 Confederation
of the Rhine
(1806-1813)
Transitional
Administration
(1813-1815)
German Reich
(1815-1945)
Allied Military
Occupation
(1945-1949)
  • American Zone
  • British Zone
  • French Zone
  • Soviet Zone
  • Dutch Zone
  • East Germany
    (1949-1990)
    East German
    Districts
    (1952-1990)
     Heligoland
    (1807-1891)
     Saarland
    (1918-35, 1945-56)
    Allied Occupation
    of the Rhineland
    (1918-1930)
    Rheinland Republic
    (1919, 1923, 1924)
    French
    Départements
    in Germany

    (1800-1813)
    German Antarctica
    (1938-1945)
    Historical Maps
    of Germany
    Map of Germany
    in 1789
    Map of Germany
    in 1807
     

    Holy Roman Empire¹ 

    [Emperor's Banner until 1401 (Holy Roman Empire, Germany)]
                     962 - 1401
         Holy Roman Emperor's Flag
    flag of the Holy Roman Emperor to 1806
                1401 - 6 Aug 1806
          Holy Roman Emperor's Flag
    25 Dec 800                 Holy Roman Empire¹ 
     6 Aug 1806                Reich dissolved.

    Emperors-elect¹
     2 Nov 1576 - 20 Jan 1612  Rudolf II                          (b. 1552 - d. 1612)
                                 (elected 27 Oct 1575)
    20 Jan 1612 - 13 Jun 1612  Imperial vicars
                               - Friedrich V (1st time)           (b. 1596 - d. 1632)
                                 (count palatine of the Rhine)
                               - Johann Georg I (1st time)        (b. 1585 - d. 1656)
                                 (count palatine of Saxony, duke of Saxony)
    24 Jun 1612 - 20 Mar 1619  Matthias II                        (b. 1557 - d. 1619)
                                 (elected 13 Jun 1612)
    20 Mar 1619 - 28 Aug 1619  Imperial vicars
                               - Friedrich V (2nd time)           (s.a.)
                                 (count palatine of the Rhine)
                               - Johann Georg I (2nd time)        (s.a.)
                                 (count palatine of Saxony, duke of Saxony)
    28 Aug 1619 - 15 Feb 1637  Ferdinand III                      (b. 1578 - d. 1637)
    15 Feb 1637 -  2 Apr 1657  Ferdinand IV                       (b. 1608 - d. 1657)
                                 (elected 22 Dec 1636)
     2 Apr 1657 - 18 Jul 1658  Imperial vicars
                               - Karl I Ludwig                    (b. 1617 - d. 1680) 
                                 (count palatine of the Rhine;
                                  in dispute with Ferdinand Maria)
                               - Ferdinand Maria (duke of Bavaria)(b. 1636 - d. 1679)
                                 (in dispute with Karl I
    Ludwig)
                               - Johann Georg II                  (b. 1613 - d. 1680)
                                 (count palatine of Saxony, duke of Saxony)
     1 Aug 1658 -  5 May 1705  Leopold I                          (b. 1640 - d. 1705)
                                 (elected 18 Jul 1658)
     5 May 1705 - 17 Apr 1711  Joseph I                           (b. 1678 - d. 1711)
                                 (elected 23 Jan 1690, crowned 26 Jan 1690)
    17 Apr 1711 - 12 Oct 1711  Imperial vicars
                               - Johann Wilhelm                   (b. 1658 - d. 1716)
                                 (count palatine of the Rhine)
                               - Friedrich August I "der Starke"  (b. 1670 - d. 1740)
                                 (count palatine of Saxony, duke of Saxony)
    22 Dec 1711 - 20 Oct 1740  Karl VI                            (b. 1685 - d. 1740)
                                 (elected 12 Oct 1711)
    20 Oct 1740 - 14 Jan 1742  Imperial vicars
                               - Karl Albrecht                    (b. 1697 - d. 1745)
                                 (duke of Bavaria)
                               - Friedrich August II  (1st time)  (b. 1696 - d. 1763)
                                 (count palatine of Saxony, duke of Saxony, etc.)
    12 Feb 1742 - 20 Jan 1745  Karl VII                           (s.a.)
                                 (Karl Albrecht, duke of Bavaria)
                                 (elected 14 Jan 1742)
    20 Jan 1745 - 13 Sep 1745  Imperial vicars
                               - Maximilian III Joseph            (b. 1727 - d. 1777)
                                 (duke of Bavaria)
                               - Friedrich August II  (2nd time)  (s.a.)
                                 (count palatine of Saxony, duke of Saxony, etc.)
     4 Oct 1745 - 18 Aug 1765  Franz I                            (b. 1708 - d. 1765)
                                 (elected 13 Sep 1745)
    18 Aug 1765 - 20 Feb 1790  Joseph II                          (b. 1741 - d. 1790)
                                 (elected 27 Mar 1764, crowned 3 Apr 1764)
    20 Feb 1790 - 30 Sep 1790  Imperial vicars
                               - Karl IV Philipp Theodor          (b. 1724 - d. 1799)
                                 (1st time) (count palatine of the Rhine, duke of Bavaria)
                               - Friedrich August III             (b. 1750 - d. 1827)
                                  "der Gerechte" (1st time)
                                 (count palatine of Saxony, duke of Saxony, etc.)
     9 Oct 1790 -  1 Mar 1792  Leopold II                         (b. 1747 - d. 1792)
                                 (elected 30 Sep 1790)
     1 Mar 1792 -  7 Jul 1792  Imperial vicars
                               - Karl IV Philipp Theodor          (s.a.)
                                 (2nd time) (count palatine of the Rhine, duke of Bavaria)
                               - Friedrich August III             (s.a.)
                                 "der Gerechte" (2nd time)
                                 (count palatine of Saxony, duke of Saxony, etc.)
    14 Jul 1792 -  6 Aug 1806  Franz II                           (b. 1768 - d. 1835)
                                 (elected 7 Jul 1792)
     

    Archchancellors for Germany
    30 Mar 1695 - 25 Jul 1806  the Archbishops of Mayence (Mainz)
    Archchancellors for Gaul and the Kingdom of Arles
    13 Jul 1676 - 27 Apr 1803  the Archbishops of Trier
    Archchancellors for Italy
    19 Jul 1688 - 27 Apr 1803  the Archbishops of Cologne

     ¹Constitutionally the entity dealt here is the Reich ruled by the king elected by the electors (Kurfürsten) and crowned king. (It is a matter of dispute whether the king acquires his ruling authority with the election or only with the coronation; both dates are given in the following record.) In theory, his title is just King (König) without territorial appendage. By the time period covered here, it was understood that the king had acquired the dignity and notional authority of a Roman emperor (see below), and the scope of his authority as such was styled the Holy Roman Empire (Heiliges Römisches Reich - Sacrum Romanum Imperium); the addition "of the German Nation" (deutscher Nation - nationis germanicae) comes into official use in the 15th century (e.g., Act of the Imperial Diet [Reichsschluss] of 1486); its meaning has been the subject of considerable dispute since the 17th century. In the time period covered, the imperial authority extended de facto (except for some vestigial remnants, such as the chartering of notaries-public throughout Western Europe) only to the (German) Reich, and official use made no distinctions.
      Upon his election (and coronation) the person acquired the style of king, whether during the lifetime of the ruler or after an interregnum. Theoretically, he was king just as much as an existing ruler, but this was just theory. In honor of the imperial status of the ruler, the elected and crowned king, if not yet emperor-elect (see above), was styled, not just King or German King, but Roman King (Römischer König - Rex Romanorum, literally "king of the Romans").
      With the demise of the imperial authority, by death or abdication, if a Roman King was in existence, he took the style of Roman Emperor-Elect, King in Germany (see above). The imperial coronation by the pope having been discontinued (except for Karl V 24 Feb 1530), it was decided 4 Feb 1508 to forego the formal acquisition of the style of Roman Emperor and to fall back on the theory that an elected German king was ipso facto Roman emperor-elect and to make this point by incorporating this concept into the ruler's style.
      The full style during the period covered (to which were, of course, attached the styles belonging to the states ruled by the emperor-elect, such as Archduke of Austria) was as follows: Von Gottes Gnaden erwählter römischer Kaiser, R.I.S.A., König in Germanien - Divina favente clementia Romanorum imperator electus et semper augustus, R.I.S.A., rex in Germania. The initials R.I.S.A. stood for Romanorum imperator semper augustus, but were misinterpreted to stand for Romani imperii semper auctor, and this misinterpretation had by the period covered come into official use, being rendered in German as zu allen Zeiten Mehrer des Reichs ("at all times increaser of the empire").
      Under the provisions of the Golden Bull of 1356, when there was no king the royal authority was exercised by two imperial vicars (Reichsvikare - vicarii imperii), each with a separate territorial jurisdiction. They were specified to be the count palatine of the Rhine (Pfalzgraf bei Rhein) and the count palatine of Saxony (Pfalzgraf von Sachsen). By the time period covered, the count palatine of Saxony was the duke of Saxony, elector; and the count palatine of the Rhine was the elector with that title, until the interregnum of 1657, when the electorate in question, and with it the county palatine, were in dispute with Bavaria.


    The Confederation of the Rhine
    [French Flag]
                25 Jul 1806 - 19 Oct 1813
    Note: Under the aegis of Napoléon I, Emperor of the French and King of Italy, a confederation of states resigning from the Reich was formed 25 Jul 1806, Napoléon becoming protecteur de la Confédération du Rhin in addition to his other styles. The Charter (Rheinbundsakte in German) was written in the French language, and called the entity États confédérés du Rhin, but used the term Confédération. The official German term was Rhein-Confoederation, but it was informally styled Rheinbund, the name by which it is known to history. The constituents of the Confederation were technically not states, but rulers. By joining the Confederation some had their rank elevated, notably a few who became grand-dukes (Grossherzöge), who were regarded as of royal status. The Diet of the Confederation, as well as its College of Kings, was chaired by the former Archbishop of Mayence, Imperial Archchancellor and Elector, in his capacity as Prince-Primate (Fürstprimas).
     
     
    Map of Confederation
    of the Rhine
    Capital: Karlsruhe

    25 Jul 1806                Confederation of the Rhine founded.
                               Charter members:
                               - King of Bavaria (to 8 Oct 1813)
                               - King of Württemberg
                               - Elector-archchancellor (formerly archbishop of Mayence).
                               - Elector of Baden, becomes a grand-duke.
                               - Duke of Berg and Cleves, becomes a grand-duke.
                               - Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, becomes a grand-duke.
                               - Prince of Nassau-Usingen, senior of these two becomes a duke.
                               - Prince of Nassau-Weilburg 
                               - Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen
                               - Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
                               - Prince of Salm-Salm
                               - Prince of Salm-Kyrburg
                               - Prince of Isenburg-Birstein
                               - Duke of Arenberg 
                               - Prince of Liechtenstein
                               - Count of Leyen, becomes a prince.
                               From 15 Sep 1806:
                               - Grand-duke of Würzburg
                               From 11 Dec 1806:
                               - King of Saxony
                               From 15 Dec 1806:
                               - Duke of Saxe-Weimar
                               - Duke of Saxe-Gotha
                               - Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
                               - Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen
                               - Duke of Saxe-Coburg
                               - Duke of Anhalt-Dessau
                               - Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg
                               - Duke of Anhalt-Köthen
                               - Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
                               - Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
                               - Duke of Oldenburg
                               - Prince of Lippe-Detmold
                               - Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe
                               - four Princes of Reuss
                               - two Princes of Schwarzburg
                               - Prince of Waldeck
                               From 15 Nov 1807:
                               - King of Westphalia
    19 Oct 1813                Confederation dissolves.

    Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine
    25 Jul 1806 - 19 Oct 1813  Napoléon I                               (b. 1769 - d. 1821)

    Prince-Primate (also Chairman of the Diet and the College of Kings)
    25 Jul 1806 - 19 Oct 1813  Karl Theodor Anton Maria Kämmerer 
                                 von Worms, Reichsfreiherr von Dalberg  (b. 1744 - d. 1817)
                                (1803 - 1806 Prince-archbishop of Regensburg;
                                 1806 - 1810 Grand duke of Frankfurt)


    Transitional Central Administration 1813-1815

    Note: After the dissolution of the Rhine Confederation, there was no central authority in Germany until the creation of the German Confederation. An attempt at coordination was, however, made, and it was headed by a body called Central Administration Council (Zentralverwaltungsrat).

    21 Oct 1813 - 20 Jun 1815  Attempted central coordination.

    President of the Central Administration Council (Zentralverwaltungsrat)
    21 Oct 1813 - 20 Jun 1815  Heinrich Friedrich Karl Freiherr      (b. 1757 - d. 1831)
                                 vom und zum Stein


    German Reich
     
    [Germany]
                   9 Mar 1848 - 15 Aug 1852;
                 14 Aug 1919 - 11 Mar 1933 
     
    [Germany 1871-1921,  N. Ger. Confed. 1867-1870]
                   1 Jul 1867 - 31 Dec 1921; 
      11 Mar 1933 - 15 Sep 1935  (co-national flag)
     
    [Third Reich 1933-1945 (Germany)]
                 11 Mar 1933 - 23 May 1945 
              (co-national flag to 15 Sep 1935) 
     
    Capital: Berlin (1871-1945)
    (Plön 29 Apr - 23 May 1945)
    Currency:  1871-1918 German
    Paper Mark (DED); 1924-1948
     German Reichsmark (DER)
    National Holiday 1933-1945:
    23 Apr (1889)
    Fuhrer's Birthday
    --------------------------
    1888-1918: Kaiser's Birthday
    27 Jan (1859)
    Population: 89,930,700 (1939)
    62,348,782 (1925)
    67,812,000 (1914)
    Map German Confederation
    Seat of Assembly: Frankfurt
    National Anthem
    (None)
    German Confederation
    Constitution
    (8 Jun 1815; in German)
    Map of German Empire
    Hear Imperial Anthem
    "'Heil Dir im Siegerkranz"
    (Hail To Thee in
    Victor's Laurels)
    Text of National Anthem
     (1 Jan 1871-11 Aug 1922)
    Imperial Constitution
    (16 Apr 1871 - 14 Aug 1919;
    in German)
    Map of Germany 1920
    HearAnthem 1922-1945
    "Deutschland, Deutschland
    ueber alles" (Germany,
    Germany above all)
    Text of National Anthem
     (11 Aug 1922 - 23 May 1945)
    Weimar Constition
     (14 Aug 1919 - 5 Jun 1945)
    Map of Germany 1942
    Hear NSDAP Anthem
    "Horst Wessel Lied"
    (Host Wessel Song)
    Text of  "Horst Wessel"
    (11 Mar 1933 - 23 May 1945)
    Nuremburg Laws
    (15 Sep 1935-May 1945)
    International Organizations/Treaties 1871-1945:  ICRM, ILO, IMO, IOC, ICPC, IPU, ITU, League of Nations, LORCS, PCA, PCIJ, UIBPIP, UPU
     
    20 Jun 1815                German Confederation
    12 Jul 1848 - 20 Dec 1849  German Empire (declared at Frankfurt; officially 
                                 from 28 Mar 1849).
    28 Mar 1849                Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia elected Emperor;
                                 on 28 Apr 1849, he rejects the election.
    24 Aug 1866                End of the German Confederation.
     1 Jul 1867                North German Confederation
     1 Jan 1871                German Empire (Deutsches Reich)
    14 Aug 1919                Germany a republic (but style German Reich not abandoned).
    23 May 1945                Allied occupation (formally assuming supreme power 5 Jun 1945).
     

    Presidents of the German Confederation
    20 Jun 1815 - 24 Aug 1866  the Emperors of Austria
    Presidential Envoys to the Federal Parliament (in Frankfurt)(all Austrian)
     5 Oct 1815 - 16 Dec 1815  Franz Joseph Freiherr  von Albini  (b. 1748 - d. 1816)
                                 auf Dürrenried
    16 Dec 1815 - 24 Feb 1823  Johann Rudolf Graf von Buol-       (b. 1763 - d. 1834)
                                 Schauenstein
    24 Feb 1823 - 12 Mar 1848  Joachim Eduard Freiherr von        (b. 1786 - d. 1866)
                                 Münch-Bellinghausen 
    12 Mar 1848 - 14 May 1848  Franz Graf von Colloredo-Wallsee   (b. 1799 - d. 1859)
    14 May 1848 - 12 Jul 1848  Anton von Schmerling               (b. 1805 - d. 1893)
     1 May 1850 -  1 Nov 1852  Friedrich Graf von Thun-Hohenstein (b. 1810 - d. 1881) 
     2 Jan 1853 - 12 Oct 1855  Anton Freiherr Prokesch            (b. 1795 - d. 1876) 
    12 Oct 1855 -  4 May 1859  Johann Bernhard Graf von Rechberg  (b. 1806 - d. 1899) 
                                 und Rothenlöwen
    23 May 1859 - 24 Aug 1866  Aloys Freiherr von Kübeck          (b. 1819 - d. 1873)

    Presidents of the Constituent National Assembly (Frankfurt-am-Main)
    18 May 1848 - 19 May 1848  Friedrich Lang                     (b. 1778 - d. 1859)
                               (president by age of the Constituent National Assembly)
    19 May 1848 - 12 Jul 1849  Heinrich Wilhelm August Freiherr   (b. 1799 - d. 1880)  R-Lib
                                 von Gagern
    Provisional Central Authorities of the German Reich (Frankfurt-am-Main)
    12 Jul 1848 - 20 Dec 1849  Johann, Erzherzog von Österreich   (b. 1782 - d. 1859)
                                (Imperial Vicar [Reichsverweser])
     6 Jun 1849 - 18 Jun 1849  German Imperial Regency
                               (in Stuttgart; in rebellion)
                                - Peter Franz Joseph Raveaux      (b. 1810 - d. 1851)  Dem
                                - August Christoph Carl Vogt      (b. 1817 - d. 1895)  Dem
                                - August Heinrich Simon           (b. 1805 - d. 1860)  Dem
                                - Friedrich Schüler               (b. 1791 - d. 1873)  Dem
                                - Heinrich August Becher          (b. 1816 - d. 1890)  Dem
    20 Dec 1849 -  1 May 1850  Federal Commission (Frankfurt-am-Main)
                               (on behalf of the Emperor of Austria 
                                and the King of Prussia)
                                - Karl Friedrich Kübeck Freiherr  (b. 1780 - d. 1855)
                                    von Kübau (Austria)
                                - Karl Freiherr von Schönhals     (b. 1788 - d. 1857)
                                    (Austria)
                                - Carl Wilhelm Boetticher         (b. 1791 - d. 1868) 
                                    (Prussia)
                                - Joseph Maria von Radowitz       (b. 1797 - d. 1853)
                                    (to 31 Mar 1850)(Prussia)
                                - Eduard von Peucker (Prussia)    (b. 1791 - d. 1876)
                                    (from 19 Jan 1850; acting to 31 Mar 1850)
    President of the North German Confederation
     1 Jul 1867 -  1 Jan 1871  the King of Prussia
    Emperors4
    18 Jan 1871 -  9 Mar 1888  Wilhelm I                          (b. 1797 - d. 1888)
     4 Jun 1878 -  5 Dec 1878  Friedrich Wilhelm von Prussen      (b. 1831 - d. 1888)
                                 (acting)
     9 Mar 1888 - 15 Jun 1888  Friedrich III                      (s.a.)
     9 Mar 1888 - 15 Jun 1888  Wilhelm von Preussen (acting)      (b. 1859 - d. 1941)
    15 Jun 1888 -  9 Nov 1918  Wilhelm II                         (s.a.)
    Chairmen of the Executive Council of the Workers and 
    Soldiers' Councils of Greater Berlin
    11 Nov 1918 - 20 Dec 1918  Richard Müller                     (b. 1880 - d. 1943)  USPD
                               + Hans-Georg von Beerfelde         (b. 1877 - d. 1960)  Mil
                                 (to 12 Nov 1918)
                               + Brutus Molkenbuhr                (b. 1881 - d. 1959)  SPD
                                 (from 12 Nov 1918)
    Chairmen of the Central Council of the German Socialist Republic
    20 Dec 1918 -  6 Feb 1919  Robert Leinert                     (b. 1873 - d. 1940)  SPD
                               + Emmanuel "Max" Cohen-Reuss       (b. 1876 - d. 1963)  SPD
                               + Hermann Müller                   (b. 1876 - d. 1931)  SPD
    Presidents of the Constituent National Assembly 
     6 Feb 1919 -  7 Feb 1919  Wilhelm Pfannkuch                  (b. 1841 - d. 1923)  SPD
                                (president by age of the Constituent National Assembly)
     7 Feb 1919 - 11 Feb 1919  Eduard Heinrich Rudolph David      (b. 1863 - d. 1930)  SPD
    Presidents
    11 Feb 1919 - 28 Feb 1925  Friedrich Ebert                    (s.a.)               SPD
    28 Feb 1925 - 12 Mar 1925  Hans Luther (acting)               (b. 1879 - d. 1962)  Non-party
    12 Mar 1925 - 12 May 1925  Walter Simons (acting)             (b. 1861 - d. 1937)  Non-party
    12 May 1925 -  2 Aug 1934  Paul von Beneckendorff und         (b. 1847 - d. 1934)  Non-party
                                 Hindenburg
     2 Aug 1934 - 30 Apr 1945  Adolf Hitler -Führer               (b. 1889 - d. 1945)  NSDAP
     1 May 1945 - 23 May 1945  Karl Dönitz                        (b. 1891 - d. 1980)  Mil
     

    Prime ministers
    15 Jul 1848 - 16 Sep 1848  Karl Emich Prinz von Leiningen-    (b. 1804 - d. 1856)  Lib-Con
                                 Westerburg
    16 Sep 1848 - 18 Dec 1848  Anton von Schmerling               (b. 1805 - d. 1893)  Lib-Con
    18 Dec 1848 - 16 May 1849  Heinrich Freiherr von Gagern       (s.a.)
    16 May 1849 - 21 May 1849  Maximillian Karl Friedrich Wilhelm (b. 1781 - d. 1860)  Con
                                 Grävell (provisional)
    21 May 1849 - 20 Dec 1849  August Prinz von Sayn-Wittgenstein (b. 1788 - d. 1874)  Mil
                                 zu Berleburg
    Federal Chancellor
    14 Jul 1867 - 21 Mar 1871  Otto Eduard Graf von Bismarck-     (b. 1815 - d. 1898)  Non-party
                                 Schönhausen
    Chancellors
    21 Mar 1871 - 20 Mar 1890  Otto Eduard Fürst von Bismarck-    (s.a.)               Non-party
                                 Schönhausen
    20 Mar 1890 - 29 Oct 1894  Leo von Caprivi                    (b. 1831 - d. 1899)  Non-party
                                (from 18 Dec 1891, Leo Graf von Caprivi) 
    29 Oct 1894 - 17 Oct 1900  Chlodwig Carl Victor Fürst zu      (b. 1819 - d. 1901)  Non-party
                                 Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, 
                                 Prinz von Ratibor und Corvey 
    17 Oct 1900 - 14 Jul 1909  Bernhard Graf von Bülow            (b. 1849 - d. 1929)  Non-party
                                 (from 6 Sep 1905, Bernhard Fürst von Bülow)
    14 Jul 1909 - 16 Jul 1917  Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg      (b. 1856 - d. 1921)  Non-party
    16 Jul 1917 -  2 Dec 1917  Georg Michaelis                    (b. 1857 - d. 1936)  Non-party
     2 Dec 1917 -  5 Oct 1918  Georg Graf von Hertling            (b. 1843 - d. 1919)  Z
     5 Oct 1918 -  9 Nov 1918  Maxmilian Prinz von Baden          (b. 1867 - d. 1929)  Non-party
     9 Nov 1918 - 10 Nov 1918  Friedrich Ebert                    (s.a.)               SPD
    Chairmen of the Council of People's Commissioners
    10 Nov 1918 - 27 Dec 1918  Friedrich Ebert (1st time)         (s.a.)               SPD
                               + Hugo Haase                       (b. 1863 - d. 1919)  USPD
    27 Dec 1918 - 29 Dec 1918  Friedrich Ebert (2nd time)         (s.a.)               SPD
    29 Dec 1918 - 30 Dec 1918  Friedrich Ebert (3rd time)         (s.a.)               SPD
                               + Philipp Scheidemann              (b. 1865 - d. 1939)  SPD
    30 Dec 1918 - 11 Feb 1919  Friedrich Ebert (4th time)         (s.a.)               SPD
                                 (executive chairman) 
    Prime Ministers (presidents of the imperial ministry)
    13 Feb 1919 - 21 Jun 1919  Philipp Scheidemann                (s.a.)               SPD
    21 Jun 1919 - 14 Aug 1919  Gustav Bauer                       (b. 1870 - d. 1944)  SPD
    Chancellors
    14 Aug 1919 - 27 Mar 1920  Gustav Bauer                       (s.a.)               SPD
    13 Mar 1920 - 17 Mar 1920  Wolfgang Kapp (in rebellion)       (b. 1858 - d. 1922)  ADV
    27 Mar 1920 - 21 Jun 1920  Hermann Müller (1st time)          (s.a.)               SPD
    21 Jun 1920 - 10 May 1921  Konstantin Fehrenbach              (b. 1852 - d. 1926)  Z
    10 May 1921 - 22 Nov 1922  Joseph Karl Wirth                  (b. 1879 - d. 1956)  Z
    22 Nov 1922 - 13 Aug 1923  Wilhelm Carl Josef Cuno            (b. 1876 - d. 1933)  Non-party
    13 Aug 1923 - 30 Nov 1923  Gustav Stresemann                  (b. 1878 - d. 1929)  DVP
    30 Nov 1923 - 16 Jan 1925  Wilhelm Marx (1st time)            (b. 1863 - d. 1946)  Z
    16 Jan 1925 - 13 May 1926  Hans Luther                        (s.a.)               Non-party
    13 May 1926 - 17 May 1926  Otto Gessler (acting)              (b. 1875 - d. 1955)  DDP
    17 May 1926 - 28 Jun 1928  Wilhelm Marx (2nd time)            (s.a.)               Z
    28 Jun 1928 - 30 Mar 1930  Hermann Müller (2nd time)          (s.a.)               SDP
    30 Mar 1930 -  1 Jun 1932  Heinrich Brüning                   (b. 1885 - d. 1970)  Z
     1 Jun 1932 -  3 Dec 1932  Franz von Papen                    (b. 1879 - d. 1969)  Z/Non-party
     3 Dec 1932 - 30 Jan 1933  Kurt von Schleicher                (b. 1882 - d. 1934)  Non-party
    30 Jan 1933 - 30 Apr 1945  Adolf Hitler                       (s.a.)               NSDAP
    30 Apr 1945 -  1 May 1945  Paul Joseph Goebbels               (b. 1897 - d. 1945)  NSDAP
    Chairman of the Interim Government
     2 May 1945 - 23 May 1945  Johann Ludwig Graf Schwerin von    (b. 1887 - d. 1977)  Non-party
                                 Krosigk (at Flensburg)


     ²According to the Charter of the German Confederation, "Austria has the chair in the Federal Assembly." Although the Charter does not use the term, this chairmanship is officially styled Präsidium or Bundespräsidium; it is ambiguous whether this style refers to the person or office of the Emperor of Austria.

     ³According to the Constitution of the North German Confederation, "The Crown of Prussia is entitled to the Presidency of the Confederation" (Präsidium des Bundes). The office does not confer a specific style on the King of Prussia; when exercising it, the style used is "King of Prussia in the name of the North German Confederation."

      4Full official style of the ruler: Deutscher Kaiser und König von Preussen, Markgraf zu Brandenburg, Burggraf zu Nürnberg, Graf zu Hohenzollern, souveräner und oberster Herzog von Schlesien wie auch der Grafschaft Glatz, Grossherzog vom Niederrhein und Posen, Herzog zu Sachsen, Westfalen und Engern, zu Pommern, Lüneburg, Holstein und Schleswig, zu Magdeburg, Bremen, Geldern, Cleve, Jülich und Berg, sowie auch der Wenden und Kaschuben, zu Krossen, Lauenburg, Mecklenburg, Landgraf zu Hessen und Thüringen, Markgraf der Ober- und Niederlausitz, Prinz von Oranien, Fürst zu Rügen, zu Ostfriesland, zu Paderborn und Pyrmont, zu Halberstadt, Münster, Minden, Osnabrück, Hildesheim, zu Verden, Kammin, Fulda, Nassau und Moers, gefürsteter Graf zu Henneberg, Graf der Mark und zu Ravensberg, zu Hohnstein, Tecklenburg und Lingen, zu Mansfeld, Sigmaringen und Veringen, Herr zu Frankfurt ("German Emperor and King of Prussia; Margrave of Brandenburg; burgrave of Nürnberg, count of Hohenzollern; sovereign and highest Duke of Silesia as of the county of Glatz; Grand duke of the Lower Rhine and of Posen; Duke of Saxony, Wesphalia, and Angaria, of Pomerania, Lüneburg, Holstein and Schleswig, of Magdeburg, Bremen, Gelders, Cleves, Jülich and Berg, as well as of the Wendes and Kaschubs, of Krossen, Lauenburg, Mecklenburg; Landgrave of Hesse and Thuringia, Margrave of Upper and Lower Lusatia, Prince of Orange, Prince of Rügen, of East Frisia, of Paderborn and Pyrmont, of Halberstadt, Münster, Minden, Osnabrück, Hildesheim, of Verden, Kammin, Fulda, Nassau and Moers; Princely count of Henneberg; Count of the Mark and of Ravensberg, of Hohnstein, Tecklenburg and Lingen, of Mansfeld, Sigmaringen and Veringen, Lord of Frankfurt").
     

    Noble titles: Ritter = Knight; Freiherr = Baron; Graf = Count; Fürst, Prinz = Prince; 
    Herzog = Duke; Grossherzog = Grand Duke; König= King; Kaiser = Emperor

    Party abbreviations (from 1 Dec 1933 all political parties except NSDAP are banned):
    ADV = Alldeutscher Verband (All-German [or pan-German] Union, nationalist); DDP = Deutsche Demokratische Partei (German Democratic Party, democratic); DVP = Deutsche Volkspartei (German People's Party, Nationalist, right-liberal); NSDAP = Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (National Socialist German Worker's Party, Nazi fascist, xenophobic, nationalist -only legal party 14 Jul 1933-31 May 1945); SPD = Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (Social Democratic Party of Germany, social-democratic); USPD = Unabhängige Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (Independent Social Democratic Party, socialist-liberal, 1917-1922); 
    Z = Zentrum (Center Party, catholic, centerist); Mil = Military;
    - Former parties: Con = Conservative; Dem = Democrat; Lib = Liberal; Lib-Con = Liberal-
    Conservative; R-Lib = Right Liberal


    Allied Military Occupation
     
    [C-Ensign]
             23 May 1945  - 9 May 1949 
                Provisional Civil Ensign
     
    [Germany]
                    Adopted 9 May 1949
     
     
    Map of Allied Occupation
    Zones in Germany
    Allied Occupation
    Commanders of Berlin

     2 May 1945                Soviet forces begin Allied occupation of Berlin.
     8 May 1945                Allies accept the unconditional of Germany surrender.
    23 May 1945                Allied occupation (formally assuming supreme power 5 Jun 1945)
     1 Jan 1947                Bizone ("Bizonia") created my economic merger of U.K. & U.S. zones.
     8 May 1949                Trizone ("Trizonia") formed by addition of French zone to Bizone.
     7 Sep 1949                American, British, and French zones become Federal Republic
                                 of Germany.
    21 Sep 1949 - 23 Oct 1954  American, French, and British form Allied High Commission.
     7 Oct 1949                Soviet zone becomes German Democratic Republic.
     5 May 1955                Allied Occupation of West Germany ends.
    21 Sep 1955                Soviet military occupation of East Germany ends.
     3 Oct 1990                Re-unification of Germany, end of allied control sectors in Berlin.

    American Zone

    [US flag]

    Military governors
     8 May 1945 - 10 Nov 1945  Dwight David Eisenhower            (b. 1890 - d. 1960)
    11 Nov 1945 - 25 Nov 1945  George S. Patton, Jr. (acting)     (b. 1885 - d. 1945) 
    26 Nov 1945 -  5 Jan 1947  Joseph T. McNarney                 (b. 1893 - d. 1972)
     6 Jan 1947 - 14 May 1949  Lucius DuBignon Clay               (b. 1897 - d. 1978)
    15 May 1949 -  1 Sep 1949  Clarence R. Huebner (acting)       (b. 1888 - d. 1972)
    High commissioners
     2 Sep 1949 -  1 Aug 1952  John J. McCloy                     (b. 1895 - d. 1989)
     1 Aug 1952 - 11 Dec 1952  Walter J. Donnelly                 (b. 1896 - d. 1970)
    11 Dec 1952 - 10 Feb 1953  Samuel Reber (acting)              (b. 1903 - d. 1971)
    10 Feb 1953 -  5 May 1955  James B. Conant                    (b. 1893 - d. 1978)


    British Zone

    United Kingdom flag

    Military governors
    22 May 1945 - 30 Apr 1946  Sir Bernard Law Montgomery         (b. 1887 - d. 1976)
                                (from 1 Jan 1946, Bernard Law
                                 Montgomery, Viscount Montgomery
                                 of Alamein)
     1 May 1946 - 31 Oct 1947  Sir William Sholto Douglas         (b. 1893 - d. 1969)
     1 Nov 1947 - 21 Sep 1949  Sir Brian Hubert Robertson         (b. 1896 - d. 1974)
    High commissioners 
    21 Sep 1949 - 24 Jun 1950  Sir Brian Hubert Robertson         (s.a.)
    24 Jun 1950 - 29 Sep 1953  Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick              (b. 1897 - d. 1964)
    29 Sep 1953 -  5 May 1955  Sir Frederick Hoyer-Millar         (b. 1900 - d. 1989)


    French Zone

    Military commander
    May 1945 - Jul 1945        Jean de Lattre de Tassigny         (b. 1889 - d. 1952)
    Military governor
    Jul 1945 - 21 Sep 1949     Marie-Pierre Koenig                (b. 1898 - d. 1970)
    High commissioner
    21 Sep 1949 -  5 May 1955  André François-Poncet              (b. 1887 - d. 1978)


    Soviet Zone

    [Flag of USSR]

    Military commander
    Apr 1945 -  9 Jun 1945     Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov      (b. 1896 - d. 1974)
    Military governors
     9 Jun 1945 - 10 Apr 1946  Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov      (s.a.)
    10 Apr 1946 - 29 Mar 1949  Vasily Danilovich Sokolovsky       (b. 1897 - d. 1968)
    29 Mar 1949 - 10 Oct 1949  Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov           (b. 1900 - d. 1982)
    Chairman of the Soviet Control Commission
    10 Oct 1949 - 28 May 1953  Vasily Ivanoivich Chuikov          (s.a.)
    High commissioners
    28 May 1953 - 16 Jul 1954  Vladimir Semyonovich Semyonov      (b. 1911 - d. 1992) 
    16 Jul 1954 - 20 Sep 1955  Georgy Maksimovich Pushkin         (b. 1909 - d. 1963)


    Dutch Zone

    [National flag of the Netherlands]

    22 Mar 1949                Allies agree the let the Netherlands to occupy and annex some
                                 German border territories. Annexed areas include - municipalities
                                 of Havert, Hillensberg, Millen, Süsterseel, Tüddern (Dutch: 
                                 Tudderen), Wehr, parts of Höngen, Gangelt, Schumm, Saeffelen