The book of Professor of Moscow University A.I. Patrushev is devoted to the difficult and complex German history from the appearance of ancient Germanic tribes in Europe until the end of the 20th century. The book covers the most important events in the history of Germany: the struggle of the Germans with Rome, the creation on the ruins of the empire of Charlemagne the Great German Kingdom, the brilliant century of the Staufen dynasty, Reformation, the terrible Thirty Years War, the rise of Prussia, the inglorious end of the centuries-old Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, the turbulent XIX century with the revolution of 1848 and the creation of the militaristic German Empire, two world wars unleashed by Germany, the tragic fate of the Weimar Republic, the difficult years of the National Socialist dictatorship, splitting Germany into two states and rebuilding in 1990. Written in a popular form and based on the latest research on German history, the book is designed primarily for students of higher educational institutions, but it will also be interesting for a general reader interested in the problems of German history, which is very close and instructive for modern Russia.