List of historic states of Germany
Germany is traditionally a country organized as a federal state. After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the German-speaking territories of the empire became allied in the German Confederation, a league of states with some federalistic elements. After the war between Austria and Prussia of 1866, Prussia led the Northern states into a federal state called North German Confederation of 1867–1870. The Southern states joined the federal state in 1870/71, which was consequently renamed German Empire. The state continued as the Weimar Republic of 1919–1933.In 1864, Austria and Prussia together became the new sovereign of Holstein and Schleswig.
