History of Germany Quotes

“Not only did the Berlin Airlift bring in food, fuel, clothing, and much more, it also brought hope and tremendous regard for the Allies, especially the Americans who flew the bulk of the flights. The Germans also knew that over one hundred British and American airmen had died trying to keep their city alive.”
― Captivating History, History of Germany: A Captivating Guide to German History, Starting from 1871 through the First World War, Weimar Republic, and World War II to the Present

“At its peak, Auschwitz-Birkenau was killing an estimated twelve thousand to fourteen thousand people a day.”
― Captivating History, History of Germany: A Captivating Guide to German History, Starting from 1871 through the First World War, Weimar Republic, and World War II to the Present

“Throughout 1941 and early 1942, the Einsatzgruppen fanned out over the Baltic states and then the Soviet Union, carrying out massacres in what has lately been labeled “the Holocaust by bullets.” At Babi Yar on the outskirts of Kiev (Kyiv), Ukraine, they gunned down over”
― Captivating History, History of Germany: A Captivating Guide to German History, Starting from 1871 through the First World War, Weimar Republic, and World War II to the Present

“During the war, trains, men, and much materiel were used by the Germans to transport and kill the Jews of German-occupied Europe rather than utilize them in the war effort. Since the end of the war, historians have studied this and have come to essentially the same conclusion: the extermination of the Jews was more important to the Nazis than actually winning the war. In more than a few instances, German troops that were needed immediately at the front lines had to walk or wait while hundreds of trains transported Jewish people to the camps. That sounds heartless, but it is the truth. To Hitler and Himmler, their deaths were more important than the war at the front. In the twisted minds of Hitler, Himmler, and the Nazi true believers, the “threat” that the Jews posed for Germany and Europe was greater than the threat posed by the war.”
― Captivating History, History of Germany: A Captivating Guide to German History, Starting from 1871 through the First World War, Weimar Republic, and World War II to the Present

“In March 1935, Hitler announced that Germany was no longer going to abide by the military restrictions imposed by the Versailles Treaty, and he reintroduced conscription and the rearming of Germany. These moves alone, combined with the refusal to pay reparations, further increased Hitler’s popularity in Germany. From 1935 onward, an ever-increasing percentage of the German national budget went toward rearmament, and an ever-increasing number of German workers were involved in it in some way to the point that Germany could point to near zero unemployment by 1938.”
― Captivating History, History of Germany: A Captivating Guide to German History, Starting from 1871 through the First World War, Weimar Republic, and World War II to the Present

“By the summer of 1934, Germany was Hitler’s, especially after the death of Hindenburg in July, which allowed Hitler to combine the office of chancellor with that of the president.”
― Captivating History, History of Germany: A Captivating Guide to German History, Starting from 1871 through the First World War, Weimar Republic, and World War II to the Present

“As times got worse in 1929, these groups and the German public at large kept beating the same drum. “See what the November criminals, the Versailles Treaty, the Allies, the communists, and the Jews have done to Germany?” “Germans have lost everything.” “The people are begging in the streets. The people have no dignity. No honor.” “Hitler will restore Germany’s strength, honor, and dignity!” Just right there, you essentially have a synopsis of every speech made by Hitler and his minions from 1929 until they came to power in 1933.”
― Captivating History, History of Germany: A Captivating Guide to German History, Starting from 1871 through the First World War, Weimar Republic, and World War II to the Present

“For many reasons—economic, political, military, and religious—the great powers of Europe and the United States began to carve up the world between them, conquering many of the territories, kingdoms, and ancient states of Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. The leaders in this “race” were Great Britain and France, although Belgium, Italy, Holland, and Russia all took part. Japan was also a participant in Asia, having developed a modern economy in an amazing amount of time between 1870 and the late 1890s. As we have seen, Germany had been divided into many states before 1864, and while the Germans were busy fighting for unification and then attempting to build a nation, the other powers of Europe were busy conquering much of the world. This was why von Bülow and the Kaiser wanted “a place in the sun” for Germany, which meant one thing—an empire.”
― Captivating History, History of Germany: A Captivating Guide to German History, Starting from 1871 through the First World War, Weimar Republic, and World War II to the Present

“When Wilhelm II became Kaiser in 1888, he inherited a new world power. In many ways, Germany was envied: it was powerful, innovative, and cultured. It was also feared; after all, it had won three major wars in twenty years, and it was suddenly the most populous state in Europe and the most advanced on the Continent (only England surpassed it in economic terms).”
― Captivating History, History of Germany: A Captivating Guide to German History, Starting from 1871 through the First World War, Weimar Republic, and World War II to the Present