The Federal Republic of Germany is a country in Europe, and one of the world's great economic powers.
From 1806 to 1871 German states went through three confederations, then became the German Empire in 1871. Germany stood by its ally, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and entered World War I, but were defeated in 1918 after signing an armistice. The Treaty of Versailles dealt harsh punishments towards new Weimar Republic of Germany, the terms of which included Germany accepting blame for a war they didn't start and pay reparations, which Germany was unable to fully pay until 2010. This left Germans bitter towards non-Germans, including Austrian-born soldier Adolf Hitler.
From 1933 to 1945, Germany came under the control of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, who, among other things, instituted a wave of genocide that is now well known as the Holocaust. Millions of Jews, Romani, Sinti, homosexuals, disabled and other ethnic, religious, and political minorities were rounded up and sent to concentration camps; 11 million did not survive, 6 million of them were Jews. Allying with Japan and Italy, Germany started World War II by invading Poland. Germany lost the war after America and the Soviet Union entered the war. The war killed 50,000,000 people. Among the survivors, many ended up in New York City, like the late Leah Glaser. Others ended up in Israel, which was established in 1948 as a homeland for the Jews.
While the Nazis actions during the reign of terror were unjustified crimes against humanity, the Nazi regime did invent many technologies that benefited the world. These include: jet aircraft, assault rifles, methadone, rockets, smart bombs, the Z3 computer, Fanta and jerry cans. Using the V-2 rocket, Germany was the first country to launch an object in space. The Nazis also discovered the link between smoking and lung cancer, and launched the biggest anti-smoking campaign in the 20th century, most probably launched by the anti-smoking Adolf Hitler. Nazi scientists were also the first to discover atomic fission in 1938.
After the end of World War II, Germany was split into the US-supported democratic West Germany and the Soviet-controlled communist East Germany. In 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Germany was reunited in the Federal Republic of Germany.
The crippling defeat that Germany suffered at the end of the war, coupled with the establishment of Israel, has inspired new waves of anti-Semites who are convinced that the Holocaust either never happened, was heavily exaggerated or in some cases, justified. Among these ranks are former actor Mitch Carroll and his son John, gun salesman Brian Ackerman and his son Kyle, and record producer Kyle Mellors. Most anti-Semites and racists are people who feel insecure about themselves and make themselves feel powerful by persecuting those who are different.
In 2004, the Holocaust became the cause of new violence when Mellors helped former concentration camp guard Stefan Anders kill Leah Glaser, who was in the process of testiying to the Office of Special Investigations about Anders' murdering her sister Rebekkah, which would have caused him to be deported back to Germany. Anders and Mellors were both caught, and are currently rotting away in jail. (L&O: "Evil Breeds")
Detective Robert Goren spent time over there in 1987, when he was serving in the Criminal Investigation Division of the United States Army. (CI: "Cuba Libre")