The course examines the structure and nature of successive political systems in Germany within their historical and geopolitical context. Focusing on the period from 1871 until the present, we will study the Kaiserreich, the Weimar Republic, and the Third Reich, assessing their origins, key features, and consequences. This provides the foundation for our analysis of post-war Germany, its division into East and West and the post-1989 (re)construction of a unified, democratic Federal Republic of Germany. Students should learn to identify the ideological and structural factors that have shaped contemporary German politics and society and, in turn, European politics and society. They should gain insight into the lasting significance of Germany's political history for present-day politics, both on the national and European level.