Title: Economic history of Germany - Wikipedia
Headings: Economic history of Germany
Economic history of Germany
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Contents
Medieval Germany
Towns and cities
Hanseatic League
Change and reform
Early Modern Germany
Thirty Years' War
Peasants and rural life
Industrial Revolution
Regions
Coal
Banks and cartels
Class and the welfare state
Railways
Agriculture
Chemicals
Steel
Foreign direct investment
Early 20th century
World War I
Weimar Republic
Nazi economy
Post-World War II
Marshall Plan and productivity
Social market economy
Economic miracle and beyond
German reunification and its aftermath
21st century
See also
Notes
Further reading
Primary sources

Content: Economic history of Germany - Wikipedia
Economic history of Germany
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Aspect of German history
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History of Germany

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Until the early 19th century Germany, a federation of numerous states of varying size and development, retained its pre-industrial character, where trade centered around a number of free cities. After the extensive development of the railway network during the 1840s, rapid economic growth and modernisation sparked the process of industrialisation. The largest economy in Europe by 1900, Germany had established a primary position in several key sectors, like the Chemical industry and steel production. High production capacity, permanent competitiveness and subsequent protectionist policies fought out with the USA and Britain were essential factors for Germany's entry into the World Wars. By the end of World War II, the country's economic infrastructure was completely destroyed. West Germany embarked in its program of reconstruction with financial support provided by the Marshall Plan and, guided by the economic principles of the Minister of Economics Ludwig Erhard excelled in the economic miracle during the 1950s and 1960s. East Germany's last remaining economic facilities were dismantled by the Soviet occupation force as one of the first steps of the war reparations plan. The country was embedded in the Eastern Bloc system of socialist planned economy. Contemporary Germany employs a highly skilled work force in the largest national economy as the largest exporter of high quality goods in Europe, like cars, machinery, pharmaceutics, chemical and electrical products with a GDP of 3.67 trillion USD in 2017. Contents
1 Medieval Germany
1.1 Towns and cities
1.2 Hanseatic League
1.3 Change and reform
2 Early Modern Germany
2.1 Thirty Years' War
2.2 Peasants and rural life
3 Industrial Revolution
3.1 Regions
3.2 Coal
3.3 Banks and cartels
3.4 Class and the welfare state
3.5 Railways
3.6 Agriculture
3.7 Chemicals
3.8 Steel
3.9 Foreign direct investment
4 Early 20th century
4.1 World War I
4.2 Weimar Republic
5 Nazi economy
6 Post-World War II
6.1 Marshall Plan and productivity
7 Social market economy
8 Economic miracle and beyond
9 German reunification and its aftermath
10 21st century
11 See also
12 Notes
13 Further reading
13.1 Primary sources
Medieval Germany
Medieval Germany, lying on the open Northern European Plain, was divided into hundreds of contending kingdoms, principalities, dukedoms/ duchies, bishoprics/ dioceses, and free cities.