The German Empire (German: Deutsches Kaiserreich), variously referred to as the German Reich or Realm,[5][6][7][8] or Imperial Germany,[9] was the historical German nation state[10] that existed from the unification of Germany in 1871 to the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II in November 1918, when Germany became a federal republic.
The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent territories, with most of them being ruled by royal families. This included 4 kingdoms, 6 grand duchies, 6 duchies (5 after 1876), 7 principalities, 3 free hanseatic cities, and 1 imperial territory. While the Kingdom of Prussia contained most of the Empire's population and territory, it played a lesser role. As Dwyer (2005) points out, Prussia's "political and cultural influence had diminished considerably" by the 1890s.[11]
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In 1871 it had a population of 41 million people, and by 1913 this had increased to 68 million. A heavily rural collection of states in 1815, the united Germany became predominantly urban.[12] During its 47 years of existence, the German Empire operated as an industrial, technological, and scientific giant, gaining more Nobel Prizes in science than Britain, France, Russia, and the United States combined.[13]
Germany became a great power, boasting a rapidly growing rail network, the world's strongest army, and a fast-growing industrial base.[14] In less than a decade, its navy became second only to the Royal Navy. When the great crisis of 1914 arrived, the German Empire had only one ally - Austria-Hungary. They were later joined by the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria to form the Central Powers or Quadruple