Transcript Chapter 15

Chapter 15
Central Europe
Section 1 : Germany
 ●Identify some key events in the history of Germany.
 ●Describe some features of German culture.
 ●Examine the German economy.
 ●Evaluate the issues and challenges faced by
Germany.
Give a brief explanation of Germany’s
early history.
 700 AD : many tribes
untied by Charlemagne
later separated into a
loose confederation
called “Holy Roman
Empire”
 1700’s : states
controlled by Prussia,
this led to the uniting of
North and South in
1871
 1300’s : 100 Northern
towns formed trade
group called “Hanseatic
League” dominated
trade
 1890-1914 : Prospered
and became industrial.
Grew as a military
power.
Describe what happened to
Germany during the World Wars.

Balance of Power upset in Europe by growth of Germany. This
brings tension in Europe and with the assassination of Arch
Duke Franz Ferdinand WWI starts.

Britain, France, Russia, & USA vs.. Germany, Bulgaria, AustroHungarian & Ottoman Empires.

After WWI German economy collapses amid harsh war
sanctions, giving rise to the Nazi party and Adolf Hitler. A push
for strong military and an alliance with Italy & Japan forms.

1939 Germany invades Poland and WWII is started.


Britain, France, Russia, & USA (Allied) vs. Germany, Italy, &
Japan (Axis)
1945 WWII is ended while Germany and most of Europe lay
in ruins.
Briefly explain what happened in
Germany after WWII.
 Country split into Eastern
& Western Germany

West controlled by
democracy, East
controlled by
communism
 West become economic
power
 1990 Fall of
communism & the 2
halves are united.
Democracy new gov’t
Give information about
German Culture.
 Capital is Berlin
 16 states or Landers,
Bavaria is the largest
 German is the
dominant language
 German foods:
bratwurst (sausage)
various pastries
 Strict environmental
laws
 Limit deforestation
 Pollution
 Oktoberfest: annual
celebration of royal
wedding, ends in the
beginning of Oct.
Give 3 facts about the German
economy
 4th largest GDP in the
world, behind US,
Japan, and China
 Is prominent member
of European Union
 Diverse economy 
Business, Industry,
Agriculture (1/2 of
land used)
Challenges facing German
 Immigration  Turks
come in and isolate
themselves due to
culture
 Raising standards in the
East to those in the
West, and stopping the
civil unrest between
Ossis(E) and Wessis(W)
Section 2 Alpine Countries
 ●Describe some important
features of Austria’s history,
culture, and economy.
 ●Analyze the political, cultural,
and economic features of
Switzerland.
Who are the Alpine Countries?
Austria
Switzerland
Why are they called the Alpine Countries?
What does Austria have in common
with Germany?
 Culture (language & religion)
 Members of the Holy Roman Empire
 Ruled by the Habsburgs
 At one time were under the control of the Austrian
Empire
 Austria controlled by Germany prior to WWII
Give info about Austria today?
 Vienna
 Capital
 Currently Members of
the European Union
 Largest City
 Political &
Cultural
center of
Central
Europe
 Diverse Economy 
Industrial,
Hydroelectric power, &
high quality goods
What 2 composers called
Austria home?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Ludwig Von Beethoven
What makes Switzerland different
from Austria?
 Has 4 languages 
 German
 French
 Italian
 It is a
confederation of
26 Cantons or
states
 Romanish
 English is becoming
5th most popular
 Most people are
multilingual
 Extremely stable
country, tends not
to take sides
during conflicts
What is important about:
 Zurich  largest city and world’s leading Banking
community
 Basel  transportation center located on the Rhine
River
 Bern  capital city located between the German and
the French speaking populations
Would Switzerland
be considered a
developed country?
-Yes
A.High Standards of living
B.Banking and insurance are big
segments of economy
C.Famous for clocks/watches, Swiss
cheese, & chocolate
D.Major tourist attraction
What do Poland and the Baltic
Countries have in common?
 Both
controlled by
the Soviet
Union after
World War II
and during
the Cold War.
What are the Baltic
Countries?
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
What is an
exclave?
An area separated
from the rest of a
country by the
territory of other
countries.
What are the
major cities in
Poland?
Warsaw
Krakow
Gdansk
How has Poland’s economy
changed?

Has changed from
communist (agriculture
centered) to a capitalist or
free market (industry
centered).

Hurt farmers

Gov’t owned businesses
went private

New member to the EU.

Change from Communism
has allowed the Roman
Catholic religion to become
dominant.
Who brought
Christianity to
Estonia & Latvia?
The Teutonic Order of
Knights
They also were
responsible for bringing
a strong element of
German Culture to this
region.
Hermann von Salza served as the
fourth Grand Master of the Teutonic
Knights (1209 to 1239).
Why are the cultures in
the Baltic countries
related to so many
other countries?
Due to the Baltic Sea being
a major trade route for
goods and information,
many cultures were present
and blended together over
time to form what we now
see in this region.
What is a complementary region?
 The combining of 2 areas with different activities or
strengths, each of which benefit the other.
 Farming community(Slovakia) joining together with an
industrial community(Czech Republic).
How was Czechoslovakia a
complementary region?
 Czech Republic
controlled land with
mineral resources for
raw materials, as well as
had industrial factories.
 Slovakia had an
economy based from
agriculture
 The 2 regions joined
together to meet the
needs of each that were
not being met. Slovakia
gave food to the Czech
Republic, and in turn
received goods needed
that they could not
produce themselves.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, how
have things changed for these countries?
Czech Republic
 Life here has
become more
Americanized due
to a stable economy
of industry and the
selling of raw
materials.
Especially in its
capital of Prague.
Slovakia
 The move away from
communism has been
tough due to high
unemployment and a
lack of industry. The
economy is unstable
due to being based on
agricultural
production. Its
capital of Bratislava is
the only major city.
What makes Budapest different
from other cities?
Reason
 It is actually 2 cities
separated by the
Danube River. The
cities of Buda and
Pest joined together
in 1873, and still
function as one city
today.
Picture
Briefly explain Hungary’s
economy.
 Strong Agricultural production
 Industry has bounced back from the Communist era
and has changed to a market economy
 Businesses are now privately owned, increasing
competition
 Have attracted new industries, foreign investments, &
tourism
 Have joined NATO and are a new member to the EU
The main ethnic
background for Czech
Republic, Slovakia, and
Hungary is?
Magyar
Define
 Exclave
 Confederation
 Alliances
 Cantons
 Multilingual

an area separated from the rest
of a country by the territory of
other countries.

a group of states joined
together

an agreement between two
countries to support one
another against enemies

states in Switzerland

speaking several languages