19th Century German Government

The German refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor.  Germany was under this control from January 18^th, 1871 to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and when the Emperor Wilhelm II left the throne.

The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent territories (most of them ruled by royal families). While the Kingdom of Prussia contained most of the population and most of the territory of the Reich; the Prussian leadership was replaced by German leaders and Prussia itself played a lesser role. Prussia's "political and cultural influence had diminished considerably" by the 1890s in Germany. Its three largest neighbors were rivals Imperial Russia to the east and France to the west and ally Austria-Hungary to the south.

After 1850 Germany industrialized rapidly, with a foundation in coal, iron (and later steel), chemicals and railways. From a population of 41 million people in 1871 it grew to 68 million in 1913. From a heavily rural nation in 1815, it was now predominantly urban. During its 47 years of existence, the German Empire operated as an industrial, technological and scientific giant.

Germany was a great power, with the most powerful army in the world, and its navy.  After the removal of the powerful Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in 1890 following the death of Emperor Wilhelm I, the young Emperor Wilhelm II engaged in increasingly reckless foreign policies that left the Empire isolated. Its network of small colonies in Africa and the Pacific paled in comparison to the British and French empires.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Empire. November 16, 2011.

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