The German Empire (German: Deutsches Reich),[a][16][17][18][19] also referred to as Imperial Germany,[20] the Second Reich[b][21] or simply Germany, was a country in Europe during the period of the German Reich from 1871 to its dissolution in November 1918. When the German Empire collapsed, it became the Weimar Republic, a republic.[22][23]
Quick facts Deutsches Reich (German), Capitaland largest city ...
German Empire |
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Motto: Gott mit uns (German)[3]
Nobiscum Deus (Latin)
("God with us") |
Anthem: Heil dir im Siegerkranz[4]
("Hail to Thee in the Victor's Crown")
Die Wacht am Rhein (unofficial)[5][6][7]
("The Watch on the Rhine")
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 The German Empire in 1914 The German Empire and its occupied territories in the final stage of World War I, September 1918 States of the German Empire |
 The German colonial empire in 1914 |
| Capital and largest city | Berlin
52°31′7″N 13°22′34″E |
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| Official languages | German |
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| Common languages |
- Unofficial:
Low German, Polish, Danish, Yiddish, Limburgish, Frisian, Sorbian, Sinte Romani, Lithuanian, Kashubian, Swahili, Arabic
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| Religion (1880) | Majority:
62.63% Protestant
(United Protestant, Lutheran, Reformed)
Minorities:
35.89% Roman Catholic
1.24% Jewish
0.17% other Christian
0.07% other |
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| Demonym(s) | German |
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| Government | Federal parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy[8][9][10][11]
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| Emperor | |
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• 1871–1888 | Wilhelm I |
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• 1888 | Friedrich III |
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• 1888–1918 | Wilhelm II |
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| Chancellor | |
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• 1871–1890 | Otto von Bismarck |
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• 1890–1894 | Leo von Caprivi |
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• 1894–1900 | C. zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst |
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• 1900–1909 | Bernhard von Bülow |
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• 1909–1917 | T. von Bethmann Hollweg |
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• 1917 | Georg Michaelis |
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• 1917–1918 | Georg von Hertling |
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• 1918 | Max von Baden |
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| Legislature | Bicameral |
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• Upper house | Bundesrat |
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• Lower house | Reichstag |
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| Historical era | New Imperialism • World War I |
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| 18 January 1871 |
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• Constitution | 16 April 1871 |
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| 15 November 1884 |
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| 28 July 1914 |
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| 3 November 1918 |
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• Abdication of Kaiser[13] | 9 November 1918 |
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| 11 November 1918 |
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| 11 August 1919 |
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• Total | 1,750,000 km2 (680,000 sq mi) |
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| 1910[14] | 540,857.54 km2 (208,826.26 sq mi) |
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• Estimate | 70,000,000 |
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| 41,058,792 |
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| 56,367,178 |
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| 64,925,993 |
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| Currency | Until 1873:
Vereinsthaler, South German gulden, Bremen thaler, Hamburg mark, French franc
(1873–1914)
German Papiermark
(1914–1918) |
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Area and population not including colonial possessions |
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