Germany: the Biggest European Impact on the Modern World

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The German people are most fascinating. In the 20th Century, in my opinion, they were the people who had made the most impact in the world today. They developed the most innovative technology during their wars with the world, and also were most receptive to the many periods of change that swept over the rapidly changing country. They managed to fight World War 1 and nearly defeated the Western Allies before the entry of the United States of America. After being stripped of the right to build artillery guns according to the Treaty of Versailles, they began to develop missiles, like the V1 and V2, so as to replace the need for long-range combat support. During World War 2, the Germans developed the world's first operational combat fighter Jet, the Messerschmidt 262. This jet, despite being limited in numbers, provided a substantial fear factor amongst the Allied bomber crew headed to German cities. The Germans also developed the first military helicopter, which was used as aerial reconnaissance. Another amazing development was the 'Blitzkrieg' doctrine, which utilized shock troopers and mobile units to strike hard and fast into the enemy's territory; a tactic still used in modern warfare, especially in the 1991 Gulf War. During the Cold War, the Germans were highly receptive to the 'denazification' efforts of the US, and played an important role in NATO after 1955, being the first line of defense against the Communists to the East for the rest of Western Europe. Germany was also recognized as the key to Europe; in the words of Vladimir Lenin, "Whoever controls Berlin controls Germany and whoever controls Germany controls Europe." Germany was recognized as the economic heart of Europe, and thus the Western Allies focused on rebuilding West Germany rather than neutering it. This was also because by rebuilding West Germany and fostering trade ties with her, the

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