Culture

Germany's struggle for a unified identity has a long history marked by numerous politically and religiously motivated wars. Only in 1871, did the loose confederation of seperate states and territories with an ever changing set of allies and enemies become unified by Prussia's military power rather than a sense of belonging. The new nation was consumed by a thirst for power and expansion which directly lead to the outbreak of World War I, defeat for both germany and Austria and a disastrous peace agreement. The result was a Germany ruled by the civil unrest and a desire for revenge. An easy target for Adolf Hitler to prey on. He was able to turn general social disaffection into the focused launch of the Third Reich and World War II. Iformation used from:**__http://www.about-germany.org/culture/history.php__**