German Empire

1871-1918540,000 km2 (Europe)Wilhelm I and Otto von Bismarck

RegionGermany

Period1871-1918

Peak Size540,000 km2 (Europe)

Founded ByWilhelm I and Otto von Bismarck

About German Empire

Proclaimed at Versailles in 1871 after Prussia defeated France, uniting the German states under the Hohenzollern dynasty. Bismarck built alliances and introduced pioneering social insurance. Germany became an industrial and scientific powerhouse and acquired colonies in Africa and the Pacific. Defeat in World War I ended the monarchy in 1918.

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