These settlers came together under what was then still the reign of the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne. The Holy Roman Empire gradually declined as the region developed a successful feudal system and was split into a variety of kingdoms and duchies.

The Middle Ages saw the arrival of prosperous times for Germany with the formation of the Hanseatic League from merchants of over 200 German towns. The league had a significant influence on commerce in the region, which in turn led to greater development of cities and the country’s infrastructure.

The war came to an end with the signing of the Peace of Westphalia agreement which saw the development of the Prussian state, the granting of independence to both Switzerland and the Netherlands and the submission of Alsace to France.

At the time of the coronation of Frederick II the Great, Prussia was flourishing and under his rule it continued to do so eventually becoming the second most powerful state in the Empire after Austria. In the early 19th century, the German states and much of Europe was engulfed by Napoleon’s French Empire and it wasn’t until 1814 that independence was reestablished.

The Nazi Party formed as a direct result of resentment towards the Treaty of Versailles and this later led to Adolf Hitler assuming complete governmental control and instituting an aggressive imperialistic policy that ultimately led to the outbreak of WWII.

Germany was split into four occupation zones following its defeat in WWII, with the Americans, English, French and Russians each controlling a zone. This situation eventually led to the division of the country into the German Federal Republic and the German Democratic Republic. This division was later consolidated with the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961.