Which countries speak German?

Which countries speak German?

German is the most widely spoken mother language and an official language in four countries in the European Union: Germany, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg. German is also an official language in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Did Austria support Germany in ww2?

During the course of the war, hundreds of thousands of Austrians fought as German soldiers; a substantial number of Austrians served in the SS, the elite military corps of the Nazi Party. By the end of the war, approximately 250,000 Austrians had been killed or were missing in action.

Why is Austria not a part of Germany?

Austria was part of the Holy Roman Empire and the German Confederation until the Austro-Prussian War in 1866 which resulted in Prussia expelling Austria from the Confederation. Thus, when Germany was founded as a nation-state in 1871, Austria was not a part of it.

What does Anschluss mean in ww2?

Anschluss, German: “Union”, political union of Austria with Germany, achieved through annexation by Adolf Hitler in 1938.

Who liberated Vienna in ww2?

Soviet forces

Did Austria pay reparations after ww2?

Each of the defeated powers were required to make payments in either cash or kind. Because of the financial situation in Austria, Hungary, and Turkey after the war, few to no reparations were paid and the requirements for reparations were cancelled.

Has UK paid off ww2 debt?

The U.K. only paid off the last of its World War II debts to the U.S. at the end of 2006. In 2014, then Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced plans to pay off debt dating back to the South Sea Bubble of 1720, as well as World War I.

Why did Germany pay for ww1?

Intense negotiation resulted in the Treaty of Versailles’ “war guilt clause,” which identified Germany as the sole responsible party for the war and forced it to pay reparations. Germany had suspended the gold standard and financed the war by borrowing.

What happened to the German Sixth Army?

The 6th Army was a field army unit of the German Wehrmacht during World War II (1939–1945). It became widely remembered for its destruction by the Red Army at the Battle of Stalingrad in the winter of 1942–1943.