Germanicus Vjor-'ma-ni-kosN Caesar (b. 15 bc —d. ad 19, Antioch, Syria) Nephew and adopted son of Tiberius, brother of Claudius, and father of Caligula and Agrippina the Younger. A successful and popular general, he stifled a rebellion in the West on the death of Augustus in ad 14. Though urged to take imperial power, he deferred to Tiberius, under whom he had served. In the East he came into conflict with Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso, governor of Syria. Germanicus’s death may have been due to poisoning ordered by Piso, though Tiberius was also suspected; Piso’s suicide left the matter unsolved. Only his premature death prevented Germanicus from becoming emperor.
germanium Semimetallic chemical element, chemical symbol Ge, atomic number 32. Germanium, which resembles silicon in its physical properties, is used especially in semiconductor devices. Discovered in 1886, it became economically significant after 1945 and remains of pri¬ mary importance in the manufacture of transistors and of components for other devices such as rectifiers (see diode) and photocells. It is also used as a component of alloys, in phosphors for fluorescent lamps, and in the glasses of certain optical components, such as camera and microscope lenses.
Germantown, Battle of (Oct. 4, 1777) Abortive attack in the Ameri¬ can Revolution by 11,000 American troops on 9,000 British regulars sta¬ tioned at Germantown (now part of Philadelphia). George Washington’s daring dawn raid, a four-pronged attack, failed partly because of dense fog that confused the American troops into firing on one of their own col¬ umns. Despite its failure, this and the colonial victory at the Battle of Saratoga impressed the French with Washington’s strategic ability and influenced them to offer military aid.
Germany officially Federal Republic of Germany Country, north-central Europe. Area: 137,847 sq mi (357,023 sq km). Population (2005 est.): 82,467,000. Capitaclass="underline" Berlin. The majority of the people are German. Language: German (official). Religions: Christianity (Protestant, Roman Catholic, other Christians); also Islam. Currency: euro. The land is generally flat in the north and hilly in the northeast and central region, rising to the Bavarian Alps in the south. The Rhine River basin dominates the central and western part of the country; other important rivers include the Elbe, Danube, and Oder. Germany has a developed free-market economy largely based on services and manufacturing. It is one of the richest countries in the world. Exports include motor vehicles and iron and steel products. The chief of state is the president, and the head of government is the chancellor. Federal power is centred in the bicameral Parliament. Germanic tribes entered Germany c. 2nd century bc, displac¬ ing the Celts. The Romans failed to conquer the region, which became a political entity only with the division of the Carolingian empire in the 9th century ad. The monarchy’s control was weak, and power increasingly devolved upon the nobility, organized in feudal states. The monarchy was restored under Saxon rule in the 10th century, and the Holy Roman Empire, centring on Germany and northern Italy, was revived. Continuing conflict between the Holy Roman emperors and the Roman Catholic popes under¬ mined the empire, and its dissolution was accelerated by Martin Luther’s revolt (1517), which divided Germany, and ultimately Europe, into Prot¬ estant and Catholic camps, culminating in the Thirty Years' War (1618—
German shepherd
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Germany ► gerousia I 755
48). Germany’s population and borders were greatly reduced, and its numerous feu¬ dal princes gained virtually full sovereignty.
In 1862 Otto von Bismarck came to power in Prussia and in 1871 united the Germans, founding the German Empire. It was dissolved in 1918 after its defeat in World War I, and the Weimar Republic was declared. Germany was stripped of much of its territory and all of its colonies. In 1933 Adolf Hitler became chancellor and established a totalitarian state, the Third Reich, dominated by the Nazi Party. Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, plunging the world into World War II, and he was responsible for the Holocaust, the systematic killing of some six million Jews and millions of others. Following its defeat in 1945, Germany was divided by the Allies into four zones of occupation. Disagreement with the Soviet Union over their reunification led to the creation in 1949 of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Berlin, the former capital, remained divided. West Germany became a prosper¬ ous parliamentary democracy, East Germany a one-party state under Soviet control. In 1952 Germany became a founding member of the Euro¬ pean Coal and Steel Community, the forerunner of the European Union. The East German communist government was overthrown peacefully in 1989, and Germany was reunited in 1990. After the initial euphoria over unity, the political and economic integration of the former East Germany into the federal republic resulted in heavy financial burdens for the wealthier former West Germans. However, the country continued to move toward deeper political and economic integration with western Europe through its membership in the European Union.
Germany, East officially German Democratic Republic Former republic (1945-90), north-central Europe. It is now the eastern portion of the Federal Republic of Germany. In 1945 occupied Germany was divided into U.S., British, French, and Soviet zones. In 1949 the U.S., British, and French zones were combined as West Germany, while the Soviet zone became a communist state as East Germany. Declared a sovereign coun¬ try in 1955, it became a founding member of the Warsaw Pact. The regimes of Walter Ulbricht and later Erich Honecker were harshly repres¬ sive. The Berlin Wall was constructed at the border of the divided city of Berlin in 1961 to stem the flight of East German citizens to the West. The communist government was dismantled in 1989-90, and the country adopted the constitution and name of Germany when the states were united in October 1990.
Germany, West officially Federal Republic of Germany
Former republic (1949-90), west-central Europe. It consisted of the west¬ ern two-thirds of what is now the Federal Republic of Germany. It was formed in 1949 when the U.S., British, and French zones of occupation in
Germany were united, while the Soviet zone became East Germany. It became a sovereign country and a member of NATO in 1955, though its occupiers retained military bases. It united with Saarland in 1957, and it joined the UN in 1973. It was reunited with East Germany in October 1990.
germination Sprouting of a seed, spore, or other reproductive body, usually after a period of dormancy. Absorption of water, passage of time, chilling, warming, oxygen availability, and light exposure may all oper¬ ate in initiating the germination process. The carefully controlled mass germination of cereal seeds supplies enzymes for the making of alcoholic beverages and for other industries; spores of the commercially cultivated mushroom Agaricus brunescens are also mass germinated.