World History Timeline

Countries / Europe

History of Germany

69 notable historical events in Germany, in chronological order.

War · 22Politics · 23Dynasty · 2Treaty · 11Revolution · 1Science · 9Technology · 2Religion · 7Culture · 1Art · 1Economy · 4Disaster · 3Disease · 1Birth · 2Death · 5

1st century

  1. 9★★★★★

    Battle of the Teutoburg Forest

    Germanic tribes led by Arminius annihilate three Roman legions, halting Roman expansion beyond the Rhine.

    War· Germany

8th century

  1. December 25, 800★★★★★

    Coronation of Charlemagne

    Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne Emperor of the Romans in Rome on Christmas Day.

    PoliticsReligion· Italy, France, Germany

9th century

  1. August 843★★★★★

    Treaty of Verdun divides the Carolingian Empire

    Charlemagne's three grandsons divide the empire into three kingdoms, laying the groundwork for the later France and Germany.

    TreatyPolitics· France, Germany, Italy

10th century

  1. August 10, 955★★★★★

    Battle of Lechfeld

    King Otto I of Germany defeats the Magyars near Augsburg, ending Hungarian raids into Western Europe.

    War· Germany

11th century

  1. January 1077★★★★★

    Walk to Canossa

    During the Investiture Controversy, Emperor Henry IV goes to Canossa to seek absolution from Pope Gregory VII.

    ReligionPolitics· Italy, Germany

12th century

  1. 1147 – 1149★★★★★

    Second Crusade

    Launched after the fall of Edessa and led by Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany, the crusade ends in failure before Damascus.

    WarReligion· Syria, Turkey, France, Germany

14th century

  1. 1315 – 1317★★★★★

    Great Famine in Europe

    Successive crop failures caused by bad weather bring mass famine to northern Europe, killing a significant share of the population.

    DisasterEconomy· United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland

15th century

  1. July 6, 1415★★★★★

    Execution of Jan Hus

    The Czech church reformer Jan Hus is condemned as a heretic by the Council of Constance and burned at the stake, sparking the Hussite movement.

    ReligionDeath· Germany, Czechia

16th century

  1. October 31, 1517★★★★★

    Luther's Ninety-five Theses

    Martin Luther publishes his Ninety-five Theses against indulgences, sparking the Protestant Reformation.

    Religion· Germany
  2. 1543★★★★★

    Copernicus publishes heliocentric theory

    Nicolaus Copernicus's On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres is printed, placing the Sun at the centre and launching the Scientific Revolution.

    Science· Poland, Germany

17th century

  1. 1609★★★★★

    Kepler publishes Astronomia nova

    Johannes Kepler publishes Astronomia nova, stating his first two laws of planetary motion, including elliptical orbits.

    Science· Czechia, Germany
  2. 1618 – 1648★★★★★

    Thirty Years' War

    Beginning with a revolt in Bohemia, the conflict spreads across Central Europe, drawing in the major European powers and causing enormous loss of life.

    WarReligion· Germany, Czechia, Austria, Sweden, France, Spain, Denmark, Netherlands
  4. October 24, 1648★★★★★

    Peace of Westphalia

    The treaties of Westphalia end the Thirty Years' War and lay foundations for the modern concept of state sovereignty.

    Treaty· Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, France
  5. September 12, 1683★★★★★

    Battle of Vienna

    A coalition army led by King John III Sobieski of Poland relieves the siege of Vienna, defeating the Ottomans and halting their advance into Central Europe.

    War· Austria, Poland, Turkey, Germany

18th century

  2. 1756 – 1763★★★★★

    Seven Years' War

    A global conflict among the European powers fought in Europe, North America and India; Britain gains colonial supremacy and Prussia confirms its great-power status.

    War· United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria, Russia, Spain, United States, Canada, India
  3. 1772 – 1795★★★★★

    Partitions of Poland

    Russia, Prussia and Austria carve up the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in three partitions, erasing it from the map of Europe by 1795.

    PoliticsTreaty· Poland, Lithuania, Russia, Germany, Austria

19th century

  1. August 6, 1806★★★★★

    Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire

    Under pressure from Napoleon, Emperor Francis II abdicates and dissolves the Holy Roman Empire after roughly a thousand years.

    PoliticsDynasty· Germany, Austria
  2. 1814 – June 9, 1815★★★★★

    Congress of Vienna

    The European powers meet in Vienna to reorder the continent after the Napoleonic Wars, redrawing the map of Europe and establishing a balance of power.

    TreatyPolitics· Austria, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, France
  3. June 18, 1815★★★★★

    Battle of Waterloo

    British and Prussian forces defeat Napoleon Bonaparte, ending the Hundred Days and the Napoleonic Wars.

    War· Belgium, France, United Kingdom, Germany
  4. May 5, 1818★★★★★

    Birth of Karl Marx

    Karl Marx, the influential philosopher and economic and political theorist, is born in Trier, Prussia.

    Birth· Germany
  5. 1848 – 1849★★★★★

    Revolutions of 1848

    A wave of revolutions sweeps Europe, from France to the German states, Austria, Italy and Hungary, demanding democratic reform and national self-determination.

    Revolution· France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Czechia
  6. February 1848★★★★★

    The Communist Manifesto is published

    Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels publish in London a pamphlet setting out the theory of class struggle, one of the most influential political texts ever written.

    PoliticsCulture· United Kingdom, Germany
  7. July 19, 1870 – May 10, 1871★★★★★

    Franco-Prussian War

    Prussia and its German allies defeat France, bringing down the Second French Empire and paving the way for German unification.

    War· France, Germany
  8. January 18, 1871★★★★★

    Proclamation of the German Empire

    King Wilhelm I of Prussia is proclaimed German Emperor in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, completing the unification of Germany led by Bismarck.

    Politics· Germany, France
  9. June 1878 – July 1878★★★★★

    Congress of Berlin

    The European powers reorganise the Balkans after the Russo-Turkish War, recognising the independence of Serbia, Montenegro and Romania.

    TreatyPolitics· Germany, Russia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Austria, Serbia, Romania, Montenegro, Bulgaria
  10. March 14, 1879★★★★★

    Birth of Albert Einstein

    The physicist Albert Einstein, author of the theory of relativity, is born in Ulm, Germany.

    BirthScience· Germany
  12. March 14, 1883★★★★★

    Death of Karl Marx

    Karl Marx dies in London, where he had lived in exile and written Das Kapital.

    Death· United Kingdom, Germany
  13. November 15, 1884 – February 26, 1885★★★★★

    Berlin Conference on Africa

    European powers met in Berlin to set rules for colonial claims in Africa, accelerating the "Scramble for Africa" without any African representation.

    PoliticsTreaty· Germany, United Kingdom, France, Portugal, Belgium
  14. January 29, 1886★★★★★

    Karl Benz patents the motor car

    Karl Benz receives a patent for the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, widely regarded as the first automobile powered by an internal combustion engine.

    Technology· Germany
  15. November 8, 1895★★★★★

    Röntgen discovers X-rays

    Wilhelm Röntgen discovers X-rays at Würzburg, opening the era of medical imaging.

    Science· Germany
  16. December 14, 1900★★★★★

    Planck's quantum hypothesis

    Max Planck presents the hypothesis that energy is emitted in discrete quanta, marking the birth of quantum physics.

    Science· Germany

20th century

  1. 1904 – 1908★★★★★

    Herero and Nama genocide

    In German South West Africa (present-day Namibia), German forces suppressed uprisings in a campaign that killed most of the Herero and about half of the Nama people.

    War· Namibia, Germany
  2. July 28, 1914 – November 11, 1918★★★★★

    World War I

    Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, drawing Europe's powers into a global war that lasts until the armistice of 11 November 1918.

    War· Austria, Serbia, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Russia
  3. November 25, 1915★★★★★

    Einstein presents general relativity

    Albert Einstein presents the field equations of general relativity to the Prussian Academy of Sciences, describing gravity as the curvature of spacetime.

    Science· Germany
  4. April 6, 1917★★★★★

    United States enters World War I

    The US Congress declares war on the German Empire, bringing the United States into World War I on the Allied side.

    War· United States, Germany
  5. June 28, 1919★★★★★

    Treaty of Versailles

    The peace treaty ending the war between Germany and the Allies is signed in the Hall of Mirrors, imposing war guilt, territorial losses and heavy reparations on Germany.

    Treaty· France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States, Italy
  6. January 30, 1933★★★★★

    Hitler appointed Chancellor of Germany

    President Paul von Hindenburg appoints Adolf Hitler Chancellor; the Nazis rapidly dismantle Weimar democracy and establish a dictatorship.

    Politics· Germany
  7. April 26, 1937★★★★★

    Bombing of Guernica

    German and Italian aircraft supporting the Nationalists bomb the Basque town of Guernica, an event depicted in Picasso's famous painting.

    WarDisaster· Spain, Germany, Italy
  8. September 30, 1938★★★★★

    Munich Agreement

    Britain, France, Italy and Germany agree to Germany's annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland, the high point of the appeasement of Hitler.

    TreatyPolitics· Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Czechia
  9. November 9, 1938 – November 10, 1938★★★★★

    Kristallnacht

    An organised pogrom against Jews across Germany and Austria destroys thousands of shops and synagogues, with about 30,000 people arrested.

    PoliticsReligion· Germany, Austria
  10. December 1938★★★★★

    Discovery of nuclear fission

    Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann discover the fission of uranium nuclei; Lise Meitner and Otto Frisch explain the process shortly after.

    Science· Germany
  11. August 23, 1939★★★★★

    Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact

    Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression pact with a secret protocol dividing Eastern Europe into spheres of influence.

    Treaty· Germany, Russia, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland
  12. September 1, 1939 – September 2, 1945★★★★★

    World War II

    Germany invades Poland, starting the deadliest conflict in human history, which ends with Japan's formal surrender on 2 September 1945.

    War· Germany, Poland, United Kingdom, France, Russia, United States, Japan, China
  13. July 10, 1940 – October 31, 1940★★★★★

    Battle of Britain

    The Royal Air Force repels a large-scale air campaign by the Luftwaffe, forcing Hitler to postpone his planned invasion of Britain.

    War· United Kingdom, Germany
  14. 1941 – 1945★★★★★

    The Holocaust

    Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murder some six million European Jews, along with millions of other victims.

    WarDeath· Germany, Poland, Austria, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Czechia, Netherlands, France
  15. June 22, 1941★★★★★

    Operation Barbarossa: Germany invades the Soviet Union

    Nazi Germany and its allies launch a massive invasion of the Soviet Union, opening the Eastern Front, the largest theatre of the Second World War.

    War· Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia
  16. September 8, 1941 – January 27, 1944★★★★★

    Siege of Leningrad

    German and Finnish forces besiege Leningrad for nearly 900 days; around a million civilians die, mostly from starvation.

    WarDisaster· Russia, Germany, Finland
  17. January 20, 1942★★★★★

    Wannsee Conference

    Senior Nazi officials meet at Wannsee near Berlin to coordinate the "Final Solution" to murder Europe's Jews.

    Politics· Germany
  18. August 23, 1942 – February 2, 1943★★★★★

    Battle of Stalingrad

    The Red Army encircles and forces the surrender of the German Sixth Army, a decisive turning point on the Eastern Front.

    War· Russia, Germany
  19. July 5, 1943 – August 23, 1943★★★★★

    Battle of Kursk

    Germany's last major offensive on the Eastern Front fails against Soviet defences in one of the largest tank battles in history.

    War· Russia, Germany
  20. June 6, 1944★★★★★

    D-Day: the Normandy landings

    Allied forces carry out the largest seaborne invasion in history on the Normandy coast, opening a Western Front to liberate Western Europe.

    War· France, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany
  21. January 27, 1945★★★★★

    Liberation of Auschwitz

    The Red Army liberates the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp, where about 1.1 million people were murdered; the date is now International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

    War· Poland, Germany, Russia
  22. April 30, 1945★★★★★

    Death of Adolf Hitler

    As the Red Army closes in on Berlin, Adolf Hitler kills himself in his underground bunker.

    Death· Germany
  23. May 8, 1945★★★★★

    Victory in Europe Day

    The Allies formally accept Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender, ending the Second World War in Europe.

    War· Germany, United Kingdom, United States, France, Russia
  24. November 20, 1945 – October 1, 1946★★★★★

    Nuremberg trials

    An international military tribunal tries leading Nazi figures for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

    Politics· Germany, United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia
  25. April 3, 1948★★★★★

    Marshall Plan

    The United States enacts a large-scale economic aid programme to rebuild Western European economies after the Second World War.

    EconomyPolitics· United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands
  26. June 24, 1948 – May 12, 1949★★★★★

    Berlin Blockade and Airlift

    The Soviet Union blocks road and rail access to West Berlin; the Western Allies respond by supplying the city through an airlift for almost a year.

    Politics· Germany, Russia, United States, United Kingdom, France
  27. May 23, 1949 – October 7, 1949★★★★★

    Germany divided: West and East Germany founded

    The Federal Republic of Germany is founded in the Western occupation zones, followed by the German Democratic Republic in the Soviet zone.

    Politics· Germany
  28. March 25, 1957★★★★★

    Treaty of Rome establishes the European Economic Community

    Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands sign the treaty creating the European Economic Community, forerunner of the European Union.

    TreatyEconomy· Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands
  29. August 13, 1961★★★★★

    Construction of the Berlin Wall

    East German authorities begin erecting barriers, later a wall, sealing off West Berlin from East Berlin, a defining symbol of the Cold War.

    Politics· Germany
  30. November 9, 1989★★★★★

    Fall of the Berlin Wall

    East Germany opens its border and crowds cross the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the Cold War's end.

    Politics· Germany
  31. October 3, 1990★★★★★

    German reunification

    The German Democratic Republic joins the Federal Republic of Germany, ending more than four decades of division.

    Politics· Germany
  32. November 1, 1993★★★★★

    European Union established by the Maastricht Treaty

    The Maastricht Treaty enters into force, formally establishing the European Union and laying the groundwork for a single currency.

    TreatyPolitics· Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Portugal

21st century

  1. January 1, 2002★★★★★

    Euro banknotes and coins enter circulation

    Euro cash enters circulation in twelve European Union countries, replacing national currencies such as the franc, the Deutsche Mark and the lira.

    Economy· Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain
History of Germany · World History Timeline