Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars brought the Germanic tribes into the spotlight of history. Although Roman efforts to establish hegemony across the Rhine continued for decades, the frontier eventually stabilized along the Rhine and Danube rivers. At that time, Germanic culture extended from Scandinavia as far south as the Carpathians. Although it was heavily fortified, the frontier was never a barrier to trade or culture. The Merovigian kings and their Carolingian successors eventually brought much of what would later constitute Germany under Frankish control, but the ceaseless blows from Danes, Saracens and Magyars in the later 9th and 10th centuries weakened the kingdom's cohesion.

Despite the role of the central role of the Holy Roman Empire, the subsequent history of Germany is marked by the rise and fall of feuding principalities. It would be a thousand years before Germany was reunified under a single ruler. Troubled by the mass insurrections and diplomatic defeats that had followed the Napoleonic Wars, William I of Prussia (1861-1888) considered abdicating in favor of his son, who was believed to have political views close to those of the liberal opposition. He was persuaded, however, to consider forming a new government led by Otto von Bismarck, the Prussian ambassador to Paris. In September 1862, Europe was startled by the news that a statesman with a reputation for conservatism, nationalism and "realpolitik" had become the prime minister of Prussia. The new German Empire was proclaimed in January 1871, in the aftermath of three short and decisive wars against Denmark, Austria and France by coalitions of German states. Bismarck had unified Germany.

The same nationalism that brought unity would also bring disaster. Germany was already staggering under a vengeful peace imposed by the Western Allies following World War I in 1929, when the worldwide economic collapse became the catalyst which sparked German political extremism. During the next decade, the Nazis and Communists succeeded in tapping into the resentment and bitterness of the German people, who had been battered by defeat and economic depression. After a campaign of ruthless political intrigue, Hitler finally became chancellor in January 1933, and six years later, drove Germany into World War II. Hitler came close to realizing his aim of establishing German hegemony in Europe, but by spring 1945, the Third Reich was prostrate. As a legacy of surrender and the ensuing Cold War, a truncated Germany was divided into two zones of military occupation. While under Soviet rule East Germany suffered and stagnated, West Germany's recovery from total economic and political prostration at the end of World War II was of such dramatic proportions as to become a modern legend. The swift and unexpected downfall of the Soviet order in Europe led to a unification treaty, ratified by the West German Bundestag and the East German People's Chamber in September 1990. After 45 years of division, Germany was once again a united nation.

In Civilization III, the Germans are considered a Scientific and Militaristic civilization, therefore, they start with Warrior Code and Bronze Working, and have significant bonuses to scientific pursuits and military activities. See the developer update on Civ-specific abilities for more on these bonuses.

Unique Unit: the Panzer

Not to be confused with the later Volkswagen, the Panzerkampfwagen (German "armored fighting vehicle") was the mainstay of the German tank forces during World War II. A variety of different models were produced, ranging from lighter, cheaper medium tanks (PzKw IV) to heavier models (PzKw V and VI). Panzer divisions were made famous by the campaigns of German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel ("The Desert Fox") in North Africa.

The Panzer is an upgraded version of the tank. Like the tank, it requires oil and rubber to build, but its additional movement point makes their blitz maneuvers much more dangerous to their enemies, a power which is noted by all nations foolish enough to stand against Germany in the industrial age.