Category:Heads of State of Germany

This category is for people who served as heads of state of Germany (in its various forms) that appear as characters in the works of Harry Turtledove. They may or may not hold the office of head of state in a given Turtledove work.

The head of state of Germany has changed at various times since the unification of the German Empire in 1871. Initially, the head of state was the Emperor (Kaiser). With the collapse of the empire in 1918, a republic, known as the Weimar Republic, was formed, with a presidential office replacing the emperor as the German head of state. While the intent was that the presidency would share power with the chancellor and the Reichstag, the instability of the Republic resulted in a very powerful presidency.

In 1933, Adolf Hitler was able to successfully attain the office of chancellor. In 1934, with the death of President Paul von Hindenburg, Hitler also assumed the office of head of state, retitling it Führer. This title died with Hitler; he was succeeded by Karl Dönitz in 1945, who temporarily served as president before the government was dismantled by the Allies at the close of World War II in Europe.

The post war split of Germany saw two "lines" of heads of state. West Germany continued on as a federal republic, and reinstated the office of the president with very limited and largely ceremonial powers and duties. From 1948 to 1990, East Germany was a communist republic. The initial head of state was the president, but in 1960, that office was replaced by a State Council. The head of the council, usually the general secretary of the Socialist Unity Party, was the office in which most power was vested.

This category should serve as a catch-all for miscellaneous German heads of state. Monarchs and Führers (depending on the timeline) should be listed in their own categories.