A tragic history
Plzen's Twentieth Century history is nothing but tragedy and just plain bad luck. After WWII this town of primarily German speaking citizens was included in the newly formed Czechoslovakia despite the wishes of the locals to be annexed to Austria. When Hitler convinced Chamberlain to allow the Nazis to enter the Sudetenland, Plzen was the borderline. Eventually the Nazis invaded and treated the locals miserably. All 2000 of the city's Jews were shipped off to concentration camps. The Skoda industrial works were converted into armored tanks manufacturing plants. Despite being liberated by American George Patton's 16th Division in the final days of WWII, the Soviets were given control of the area. When the war ended all the ethnic Germans were expelled to Austria and Germany while all their possessions were seized.
As Europe's largest economy and most populous nation, Germany remains a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20t... ... read more 
