Skip to main content

Questions tagged [germany]

For questions on German Empire, Weimar Republic, German Democratic Republic and the modern Federal Republic of Germany. Questions regarding the Third Reich should be tagged with Nazi-Germany.

208 votes
34 answers
189k views

Why did Hitler attack the Soviet Union when he was still busy fighting the United Kingdom?

During World War 2, Hitler was fighting a war with Great Britain and her colonies, but while fighting that war, he attacked the Soviet Union even though they had a non-aggression pact. Everyone knows ...
Massimo's user avatar
  • 2,333
106 votes
3 answers
17k views

Why are Germans referred to so differently in different languages?

I was inspired by the other question "Why are the German and French languages so different?". But while, for me, the answer was obvious (the Romans did not conquer most parts of today's Germany and so ...
Orsinus's user avatar
  • 3,423
87 votes
9 answers
34k views

Did Russian winter seriously contribute to German defeat on the Eastern Front in WWII?

When people discuss the causes of Hitler's defeat in Russia, one topic is frequently mentioned: climate. People claim that winter contributed significantly to the problems of German army on the ...
user avatar
61 votes
6 answers
28k views

Why are the German and French languages so different?

My understanding (which could be wrong) is the following: During and before the period of the fall of western Rome (roughly 400 AD), the Franks and the Alemanni were tribal people who moved around a ...
Roman's user avatar
  • 737
56 votes
5 answers
106k views

Why were the Romans unable to conquer Germania?

Emperor Augustus ordered his army to subdue the Germanic tribes in what is modern Germany. This was promptly achieved and by 6 AD the Romans controlled Germany up to the river Elba. The Romans were ...
astabada's user avatar
  • 5,748
53 votes
5 answers
76k views

Why were there no internment camps for German-American citizens in USA during WW2?

I am certainly aware of Japanese-Americans being detained in internment camps after the attack on Pearl Harbor and subsequent declaration of war on United States by the empire of Japan. About 110,000+ ...
Barath Bushan's user avatar
51 votes
6 answers
16k views

Were Hitler's anti-Jewish sentiments known at all to those who voted him to power in 1933?

This is partially related to the issue that dislike of certain groups of individuals had long roots in Europe (such as exemplified by this article). Anyway, I was looking at this other question which ...
user avatar
51 votes
1 answer
5k views

How did German unification affect existing sentences for criminal convicts?

The German reunification of 1990 was legally the annexation of West Berlin (a separately administered occupied territory) and East Germany (the German Democratic Republic, or GDR) by West Germany (the ...
Psychonaut's user avatar
  • 2,929
49 votes
6 answers
9k views

Why did Germany officially acknowledge the contents of the Zimmerman telegram?

The Zimmerman telegram was a diplomatic message from officials in Germany to the Mexican president, sent in 1917. After being intercepted and decoded by Britain's intelligence community, its contents ...
Jules's user avatar
  • 593
48 votes
7 answers
12k views

How was Germany able to hold itself together, while Austria-Hungary could not?

After defeat in WWI, the monarchies of the German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire rapidly crumbled, and their outlying provinces took the opportunity to declare independence and sovereignty. ...
SPavel's user avatar
  • 14.3k
40 votes
6 answers
13k views

What were Germany's long-term aims in World War I?

In World War I, according to the Schlieffen Plan, Germany aimed to defeat France in several weeks, before freeing up soldiers to fight on the front against Russia. Suppose their plan would have ...
gerrit's user avatar
  • 3,724
38 votes
3 answers
17k views

No speed limit on German highways - why?

I wonder what are the historical circumstances that led to lack of speed limit on German federal Autobahn network. There is an advisory 130 km/h limit, but it is not mandatory one nor obeyed ...
kubanczyk's user avatar
  • 6,153
37 votes
1 answer
13k views

Why did Bayer lose aspirin and heroin trademarks under the 1919 Treaty of Versailles?

As read in the article Heroin by Wikipedia: Bayer lost some of its trademark rights to heroin (as well as aspirin) under the 1919 Treaty of Versailles following the German defeat in World War I. 83 ...
fedorqui's user avatar
  • 1,394
36 votes
3 answers
21k views

Why did the Soviet Union lift the Berlin Blockade?

Between 24th June 1948 and 12th May 1949 land routes into West Berlin were blocked by Soviet forces and West Berliners were supplied entirely by air (the famous Berlin Airlift). No one connected with ...
Tea Drinker's user avatar
  • 11.8k
34 votes
6 answers
156k views

Why did Italy abandon its alliance with Germany in WW1 and join the Allied side?

Before WW1 Italy was part of an alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary, yet it didn't join them when the war started and it even joined the Allied side later during the war. Why did Italy do this? ...
Louis Rhys's user avatar
  • 6,873

15 30 50 per page
1
2 3 4 5
26