German History German Government: Ancient,

German History

GERMAN GOVERNMENT:

ANCIENT, 18TH CENTURY and MODERN TIMES

Between the beginning of the 1st millennium a.D. And 500 a.D., the government of what is now Germany did not exist, for at this time, much of Northern Europe including Germany was controlled by tribal Teutonic warriors and chieftains who mostly came to power by either destroying rival tribes or by killing rival tribal leaders. Sometime in the 1st century a.D., the great Roman Empire invaded Germany and conquered many of the Germanic tribes as they migrated to the south and to the west, clashing in fierce battles with the better equipped and trained Roman army. In 9 a.D., these Germanic tribes, headed by Arminius, destroyed the Roman army of Quinctilius Varus which prompted Augustus Caesar to cease his invasions of Germany. In the 4th century a.D., Huns from Asia conquered the Germanic Ostrogoths, thus creating a new form of government instituted by the Huns.

Between 1770 and 1775, the nation of Germany, then known as Prussia, was ruled by King Frederick II, a.k.a. Frederick the Great, considered as one of Europe's first "Enlightened Despots." He inherited the throne of Prussia from his father Frederick Wilhelm, thus making him a true monarchical power and since Frederick II was a monarchical king, the Prussian government was under his absolute control.

In an essay on the Forms of Government, King Frederick II makes it clear that he is the only sovereign of the state of Prussia and that he "and his people form a single body;" thus, King Frederick II was the head of state and although he did have an administration under him, he decided who held what position and for how long, thus making this form of government closely related to despotism and dictatorship. 2

In the current year of 2008, the nation of Germany is formally known as the Federal Republic of Germany, a.k.a. Bundesrepublik Deutschland. The German government is currently located in the capital city of Berlin and contains the following administrative divisions, broken into sixteen separate states or regions -- Baden-Wuerttemberg (Bavaria), Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia), Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Saarland, Sachsen (Saxony), Sachen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia. 3 the executive branch of the government is headed by President Horst Koehler as the Chief of State while the official head of the government is Chancellor Angela Merkel. All German Federal Ministers are appointed by the President as recommended by the chancellor. 4