German reunificationGerman reunification (Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a single full sovereign state, which took place between 9 November 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the "Unification Treaty" entered into force dissolving the German Democratic Republic (GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik, DDR, or East Germany) and integrating its recently re-established constituent federated states into the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; Bundesrepublik Deutschland, BRD, or West Germany) to form present-day Germany, has been chosen as the customary German Unity Day (Tag der deutschen Einheit) and has thereafter been celebrated each year as a national holiday in Germany since 1991.
Revolutions of 1989The Revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, was a revolutionary wave of liberal democracy movements that resulted in the collapse of most Marxist–Leninist governments in the Eastern Bloc and other parts of the world. Sometimes this revolutionary wave is also called the Fall of Nations or the Autumn of Nations, a play on the term Spring of Nations that is sometimes used to describe the Revolutions of 1848 in Europe.
Basic Law for the Federal Republic of GermanyThe Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany. The West German Constitution was approved in Bonn on 8 May 1949 and came into effect on 23 May after having been approved by the occupying western Allies of World War II on 12 May. It was termed "Basic Law" (Grundgesetz) to indicate that it was a provisional piece of legislation pending the reunification of Germany.
Angela MerkelAngela Dorothea Merkel (aŋˈɡeːla doʁoˈteːa ˈmɛʁkl̩; ; born 17 July 1954) is a German former politician and scientist who served as chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. A member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), she previously served as Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2005 and as Leader of the Christian Democratic Union from 2000 to 2018. Merkel was the first female chancellor of Germany. During her chancellorship, Merkel was frequently referred to as the de facto leader of the European Union (EU) and the most powerful woman in the world.
Red Army FactionThe Red Army Faction (RAF, ɛʁʔaːˈʔɛf; Rote Armee Fraktion, ˌʁoː.tə aʁˈmeː fʁakˌt͡si̯oːn), also known as the Baader–Meinhof Group or Baader–Meinhof Gang (Baader-Meinhof-Gruppe, Baader-Meinhof-Bande, ˈbaːdɐ ˈmaɪ̯nˌhɔf ˈɡʁʊpə, active 1970–1998), was a West German far-left Marxist-Leninist urban guerrilla group founded in 1970. The RAF described itself as a communist, anti-imperialist, and urban guerrilla group which was engaged in armed resistance against what it considered a fascist state.
G7The Group of Seven (G7) is an intergovernmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States; additionally, the European Union (EU) is a "non-enumerated member". It is organized around shared values of pluralism, liberal democracy, and representative government. As of 2020, G7 members are large IMF advanced economies and account for over half of global net wealth (at over $200 trillion), 30 to 43 percent of global gross domestic product, and 10 percent of the world's population (770 million people).
DeutschlandliedThe "Deutschlandlied" (ˈdɔʏtʃlantˌliːt; "Song of Germany"), officially titled "Das Lied der Deutschen" (das ˌliːt dɛːʁ ˈdɔʏtʃn̩; "The Song of the Germans"), has been the national anthem of Germany either wholly or in part since 1922, except for a seven-year gap following World War II in West Germany. In East Germany, the national anthem was "Auferstanden aus Ruinen" ("Risen from Ruins") between 1949 and 1990. Since World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany, only the third stanza has been used as the national anthem.
Brandenburg GateThe Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor ˈbʁandn̩ˌbʊʁɡɐ ˈtoːɐ̯) is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after restoring the Orangist power by suppressing the Dutch popular unrest. One of the best-known landmarks of Germany, it was built on the site of a former city gate that marked the start of the road from Berlin to the town of Brandenburg an der Havel, which used to be the capital of the Margraviate of Brandenburg.
Enlargement of the European UnionThe European Union (EU) has expanded a number of times throughout its history by way of the accession of new member states to the Union. To join the EU, a state needs to fulfil economic and political conditions called the Copenhagen criteria (after the Copenhagen summit in June 1993), which require a stable democratic government that respects the rule of law, and its corresponding freedoms and institutions. According to the Maastricht Treaty, each current member state and the European Parliament must agree to any enlargement.
Gulf WarThe Gulf War was an armed conflict between Iraq and a 42-country coalition led by the United States. The coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: Operation Desert Shield, which marked the military buildup from August 1990 to January 1991; and Operation Desert Storm, which began with the aerial bombing campaign against Iraq on 17 January 1991 and came to a close with the American-led Liberation of Kuwait on 28 February 1991. On 2 August 1990, Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait, and had fully occupied the country within two days.