German Empire

The German Empire (German: Deutsches Kaiserreich), officially the German Reich, was the historical German nation state that existed from the unification of Germany in 1871 to the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II in November 1918, when Germany became a federal republic.

The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent territories, with most being ruled by royal families. This included four kingdoms, six grand duchies, six duchies (five after 1876), seven principalities, three free Hanseatic cities, and one imperial territory. Although the Kingdom of Prussia contained most of the Empire's population and territory, it played a lesser role. As Dwyer (2005) points out, Prussia's "political and cultural influence had diminished considerably" by the 1890s.

After 1850, the states of Germany had rapidly become industrialized, with particular strengths in coal, iron (and later steel), chemicals, and railways. In 1871 it had a population of 41 million people, and by 1913 this had increased to 68 million. A heavily rural collection of states in 1815, the united Germany became predominantly urban. During its 47 years of existence, the German Empire operated as an industrial, technological, and scientific giant, gaining more Nobel Prizes in science than any other country.

German Empire (disambiguation)

German Empire usually refers to the unified German monarchy existing from 1871 to 1918

German Empire may also refer to:

See also

German Empire (1848/1849)

The German Empire (in German: Deutsches Reich, or Deutscher Bundesstaat, meaning 'German Federative State') was an emerging nation state in 1848/1849. It was created by the 'Frankfurt Parliament' (German National Assembly) in spring 1848, following the March Revolution. The Empire ended eventually when the German Confederation was fully reinstituted in Summer 1851, but de facto already in December 1849 when the Central German Government was replaced with a Federal Central Commission.

The Empire struggled to be recognized by German and foreign states. The German states, represented by the Federal Convention of the German Confederation, on July 12, 1848 acknowledged the Central German Government. In the following months, however, the larger German states not always accepted the decrees and laws of the Central German Government and the Frankfurt Parliament.

Several foreign states recognized the Central Government and send an ambassador: the USA, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Sardinia, Naples and Greece. France and Great Britain installed official envoys to keep contact with the Central Government.

1st Division (German Empire)

The 1st Division (1. Division) was a unit of the Prussian/German Army. It was formed in Königsberg in March 1816 as a Troop Brigade (Truppen-Brigade). It became the 1st Division on September 5, 1818. From the corps' formation in 1820, the division was subordinated in peacetime to I Army Corps (I. Armeekorps). The 1st Division was disbanded in 1919, during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.

The 1st Division and its regiments fought in the Austro-Prussian War against Austria in 1866, including the Battle of Königgrätz. The division then fought in the Franco-Prussian War against France in 1870–71. Its regiments saw action in the Battle of Noisseville, the Battle of Gravelotte, the Siege of Metz, the Battle of Amiens, the Battle of Hallue, and the Battle of St. Quentin, among other actions.

In World War I, the division initially served on the Eastern Front, seeing action at the battles of Stallupönen, Gumbinnen, and Tannenberg, and the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes. The division then fought in the Battle of Łódź and in the Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive of 1915. In March 1916, the 1st Infantry Division was transferred to the Western Front. One month later, it entered the Battle of Verdun. After several months' hard fighting around Fort Vaux, the division was withdrawn from the line and returned to the Eastern Front, where it arrived in August 1916. It then participated in the invasion of Romania, which had entered the war in 1916 on the Allied side. The division returned to Verdun at the end of 1917. In 1918, it took part in the Spring Offensive, which the Germans referred to as the Kaiserschlacht, the Second Battle of the Marne, and the Battle of the Hindenburg Line.

1st Division

1st Division may refer to:

Military

Infantry divisions

1st Division (Colombia)

The 1st Division (Spanish: Primera División del Ejército Nacional de Colombia) is a Colombian National Army division consisting on two brigades; The 2nd Brigade based in the city of Barranquilla and the 10th Armored Brigade based in the city of Valledupar. Its current commander is general Juan Bautista Yepez Bedoya, an infantry officer.

Units

2nd Mechanized Brigade

1st Infantry Division (United Kingdom)

The 1st Infantry Division was a regular army infantry division of the British Army with a very long history. The division was present at the Peninsular War, the Crimean War, the First World War, and during the Second World War and was finally disbanded in 1960.

Napoleonic Wars

The British 1st Division was originally formed in 1809 by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington for service in the Peninsula War, drawing initially from two British brigades and one Hanoverian brigade of the King's German Legion. During the Peninsula War it was involved in most of the engagements between the Allies and France including the Battle of Talavera, Battle of Salamanca in 1812, Siege of Tarragona (1813), Battle of Vitoria, Siege of San Sebastián, Battle of the Pyrenees, Battle of the Bidassoa (1813), Battle of Toulouse (1814).

Peninsular formation

(April 1814)