- published: 19 Mar 2014
- views: 871
Germany (i/ˈdʒɜrməni/), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] ( listen)), is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state and the largest economy in the European Union. It is one of the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in many fields.
A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, was documented before AD 100. During the Migration Period, the Germanic tribes expanded southward, and established successor kingdoms throughout much of Europe. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation while southern and western parts remained dominated by Roman Catholic denominations, with the two factions clashing in the Thirty Years' War, marking the beginning of the Catholic–Protestant divide that has characterized German society ever since. Occupied during the Napoleonic Wars, the rise of Pan-Germanism inside the German Confederation resulted in the unification of most of the German states into the German Empire in 1871 which was Prussian dominated. After the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the subsequent military surrender in World War I, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic in 1918, and partitioned in the Treaty of Versailles. Amidst the Great Depression, the Third Reich was proclaimed in 1933. The latter period was marked by Fascism and World War II. After 1945, Germany was divided by allied occupation, and evolved into two states, East Germany and West Germany. In 1990 Germany was reunified.
Shane Brandon McMahon (born January 15, 1970) is an American executive, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of YOU On Demand. A former executive and professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), he is the son of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon. He is also the older brother of Stephanie McMahon and brother-in-law of professional wrestler Paul "Triple H" Levesque. He spent over 20 years in WWE, leaving in January 2010.
In WWE, he is a one-time European Champion and a one-time Hardcore Champion. McMahon is considered a fourth generation McMahon as he follows his great-grandfather, Jess McMahon, his grandfather Vincent J. McMahon, and his father Vincent K. McMahon.
McMahon began his on-screen career as a referee named Shane Stevens in 1990 and was the first performer to walk out to greet the audience at WrestleMania VI. Shane McMahon also refereed during the 1991 Royal Rumble match. He soon left behind the blue shirt and bow-tie and took on the role of a backstage official at WrestleMania VIII in an attempt to break up a brawl between Randy Savage and Ric Flair.