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83-631: The league was introduced by the Nazi Sports Office in 1933, after the Nazi take over of power in Germany . The Gauliga Westfalen was established with ten clubs, all from the Province of Westphalia. The Gauliga replaced as such a number of separate leagues covering the areas of Westphalia , South Westphalia and Ruhr , the highest leagues in the region until then. In its first season,

166-481: A customs union since 1852. However, from September 1914 food deliveries from Austria-Hungary began to decrease, which quickly soured the initial war support. By 1916 all food deliveries from Austria-Hungary had ceased, which forced Liechtenstein to seek closer ties with Switzerland in order to ensure food deliveries continued. From 1916, Liechtenstein was embargoed by the Entente countries due to their connections to

249-637: A naval raid on the Russian ports of Odessa , Sevastopol , Novorossiysk , Feodosia , and Yalta , thus engaging in military action in accordance with its alliance obligations with Germany. Shorty after, the Triple Entente declared war on the Ottoman Empire. After Bulgaria's defeat in July 1913 at the hands of Serbia, Greece and Romania . It signed a treaty of defensive alliance with

332-533: A colonial power after participating in the Berlin Conference . Then, private companies were founded and began settling parts of Africa, the Pacific, and China. Later these groups became German protectorates and colonies. Cameroon was a German colony existing from 1884 until its complete occupation in 1915. It was ceded to France as a League of Nations Mandate at the war's end. German East Africa

415-466: A formal alliance with Germany signed on 2 August 1914. The alliance treaty expected that the Ottoman Empire would become involved in the conflict in a short amount of time. However, for the first several months of the war, the Ottoman Empire maintained neutrality though it allowed a German naval squadron to enter and stay near the strait of Bosphorus . Ottoman officials informed the German government that

498-619: A level that makes their neutrality disputable. The Ethiopian Empire was officially neutral throughout World War I but widely suspected of sympathy for the Central Powers between 1915 and 1916. At the time, Ethiopia was one of only two fully independent states in Africa (the other being Liberia ) and a major power in the Horn of Africa . Its ruler, Lij Iyasu , was widely suspected of harbouring pro-Islamic sentiments and being sympathetic to

581-816: A major role in the structure and coordination of the Summer Olympics in Berlin. The Olympic Games, the first in history to have live television coverage, provided an ideal setting to showcase the Nazi regime and what Hitler deemed to be his exploits. As Secretary General of the Organizing Committee of the Berlin Olympic Games, Carl Diem, the former secretary of the Deutscher Reichsausschuss für Leibesübungen (DRA),

664-588: A post von Tschammer craved but was not able to obtain. The German eagle with the swastika on the chest, worn as a badge by the athletes of the 1936 German Olympics team , became the official symbol of the Nazi Sports Body; "the swastika on the eagle's chest displays ... the ideology of the DRL" ("Das Hakenkreuz aber, welches der Adler in seinen Schwingen trägt, bekennt, aus welcher Gesinnung ... im DRL gearbeitet wird) . The verbal salutation "Heil Hitler!"

747-643: A two-front war, enacted what was known as the Schlieffen Plan , which involved German armed forces moving through Belgium and swinging south into France and towards the French capital of Paris . This plan was hoped to quickly gain victory against the French and allow German forces to concentrate on the Eastern Front. Belgium was a neutral country and would not accept German forces crossing its territory. Germany disregarded Belgian neutrality and invaded

830-404: A wider national purpose. This was in line with the ideals of Friedrich Ludwig Jahn , the "Father of physical exercises", who connected the steeling of one's own body to a healthy spirit and promoted the idea of a unified, strong Germany. A more controversial aim was the demonstration of Aryan physical superiority . Von Tschammer's impressively staged events of sports pageantry not only enhanced

913-887: The Central Empires , were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War ;I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire , Austria-Hungary , the Ottoman Empire , and Bulgaria ; this was also known as the Quadruple Alliance. The Central Powers' origin was the alliance of Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1879 . Despite having nominally joined the Triple Alliance before, Italy did not take part in World War I on

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996-648: The Franco-Prussian War , the German Empire incorporated the province of Alsace-Lorraine upon its founding in 1871. However, the province was still claimed by French revanchists , leading to its recession to France at the Treaty of Versailles. The German Empire was late to colonization, only beginning overseas expansion in the 1870s and 1880s. Colonization was opposed by much of the government, including chancellor Otto von Bismarck , but it became

1079-774: The German–Ottoman alliance , then Bulgaria with the Bulgaria–Germany treaty . The name "Central Powers" is derived from the location of these countries; all four were located between the Russian Empire in the east and France and the United Kingdom in the west. Some examples of the Central Powers collaborating are listed below. In the Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive , German forces launched an assault on Russian positions to lessen pressure on

1162-757: The Haus des Deutschen Sports (House of the German Sports) in the Reichssportfeld (Sports Field of the Reich) in Berlin. World War II radically altered the role of the NSRL in Germany and the areas under its leadership. The military re-armament and dire war preparations would make the influence of physical exercises in Nazi German society wane in favour of militarism. The massive sports pageantry events in

1245-602: The Kingdom of Hungary and the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia . In Bosnia and Herzegovina , sovereign authority was shared by both Austria and Hungary. The Ottoman Empire joined the war on the side of the Central Powers in November 1914. The Ottoman Empire had gained strong economic connections with Germany through the Berlin-to-Baghdad railway project that was still incomplete at the time. The Ottoman Empire made

1328-525: The Landesliga Westfalen . The ten founding members and their placings in the 1932–33 season were: The winners and runners-up of the league: The complete list of all clubs participating in the league. Note that, in the 1944–45 season, the league was split into three separate groups but the competition was barely started before it came to a halt. Nazi Sports Office Final solution Parties The National Socialist League of

1411-624: The Sudanese government and aligned with the Ottomans. They were able to contact them via the Senussi . Prior to this they were a British ally. The Anglo-Egyptian Darfur Expedition preemptively invaded to prevent an attack on Sudan. A small force was sent after the sultan and he was killed in action in November 1916. The invasion ended with an Anglo-Egyptian victory in November 1916. The Zaian Confederation began to fight against France in

1494-642: The Zaian War to prevent French expansion into Morocco . The fighting lasted from 1914 and continued after the First World War ended, to 1921. The Central Powers (mainly the Germans) began to attempt to incite unrest to hopefully divert French resources from Europe. The Dervish State fought against the British , Ethiopian , Italian , and French Empires between 1896 and 1925. During World War I,

1577-514: The "Olympic family" which was dominated by the Entente Powers . The Deutscher Reichsausschuss für Leibesübungen was led by Theodor Lewald and Carl Diem was its Secretary General. Even though it saw itself as the pan-German umbrella organization for sports, it did not represent all types of sports and sports associations of Germany. A great number of sport clubs, especially those stemming from industrial workers' background, had not joined

1660-809: The Allied forces in 1915. Other movements supported the efforts of the Central Powers for their own reasons, such as the radical Irish Nationalists who launched the Easter Rising in Dublin in April 1916; they referred to their "gallant allies in Europe". However, most Irish Nationalists supported the British and allied war effort up until 1916, when the Irish political landscape was changing. In 1914, Józef Piłsudski

1743-470: The Austro-Hungarian government that Germany would uphold its alliance with Austria-Hungary and defend it from possible Russian intervention if a war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia took place. When Russia enacted a general mobilization , Germany viewed the act as provocative. The Russian government promised Germany that its general mobilization did not mean preparation for war with Germany but

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1826-652: The Austro-Hungarians to the south, diverting Russian troops from the Austro-Hungarian lines. At the Battle of Caporetto , Austro-Hungarian forces broke through the Italian lines, in part due to the German use of mustard gas on the Italian Second Army . Germany had plans to create a Mitteleuropa economic association. Members would include Austria-Hungary, Germany, and others. At the start of

1909-471: The Central Powers, which caused mass unemployment in the country. The government remained sympathetic to the Central Powers until 7 November 1918, when the November 1918 Liechtenstein putsch took place and a new government took power. Upper Asir revolted away from Asir in 1916 and fought against them. The Kingdom of Greece was in a political dispute with Venizelists . The Central Powers supported

1992-679: The Czech teams of the territories occupied by Germany , Gauliga Böhmen und Mähren , was formed by the NSRL in 1943. The last big sports event organized in its trademark grandiose style by the NSRL was the Deutsches Turn- und Sportfest (German Gym and Sports Celebration) in Breslau (now Wrocław) in July 1938. This highly nationalistic sports event commemorated the 125th anniversary of the German Wars of Liberation against Napoleon and

2075-711: The DRA. After the Enabling Act , which legally gave Hitler dictatorial control of Germany in March 1933, all sports organizations connected to the Social Democratic Party , the Communist Party , and even to the church, were banned. This ban affected especially the sports clubs of industrial workers, most of which were called to split up on their own (Selbstauflösung) before the first semester of 1933

2158-709: The DRL's Statutes: The purpose of the League of the Reich for Physical Exercise is the training of the body and character of Germans grouped together in member organizations through planned physical exercises and care of the national conscience (Volksbewußtsein) in the spirit of the National Socialist state . Regarding method and purpose, and keeping aside the ideology, the well-ordered and solemn DRL/NSRL system proved itself efficient. The 1936 Summer Olympics, as well as other key events, provided ample opportunity to test

2241-475: The DRL) matches between a German team and a British team from Worcester took place in Berlin. Austria's annexation by Germany in March 1938 brought the budding Austrian Nationalliga to an early end. Numerous football teams were disbanded and some players fled the country. All Austrian sports associations were absorbed by the system of the DRL as Gau XVII section under Gaufachwart Hans Janisch. The Hitler salute

2324-531: The DRL/NSRL was at its height. As a sports governing body seeking to control and integrate all sport activities in Germany, the DRL/NSRL provided a highly organized structure. This structuralization, whose nationalistic seriousness was often outright theatrical, was in line with the Nazi Party's goal of reminding Germans constantly that they were members of a large extended country. According to Paragraph 2 of

2407-680: The Dervish State received many supplies from the German and Ottoman Empires to carry on fighting the Allies. However, looting from other Somali tribes in the Korahe raid eventually led to its collapse in 1925. Both the Ottomans and Germans had client states , they are listed below. States listed in this section were not officially members of the Central Powers. Still, during the war, they cooperated with one or more Central Powers members on

2490-612: The Muslim Dervish rebels during the Somaliland Campaign of 1915 to 1916, indirectly helping the Central Powers' cause. The Allies jointly pressured the aristocracy for the designated emperor's removal on the 10th of September, 1916 stating he was a threat to both the Allies and Ethiopia. Fearing the rising influence of Iyasu and the Ottoman Empire, the Christian nobles of Ethiopia conspired against Iyasu. Iyasu

2573-467: The NS Reichsbund für Leibesübungen along with all its facilities and departments. The disbandment of the NSRL meant that all the sports organizations of Germany had to be established anew during the postwar reconstruction of both West Germany and East Germany . Even after German reunification in 1990, there has never been such a powerful and all-encompassing sports organization in Germany as

Gauliga Westfalen - Misplaced Pages Continue

2656-539: The NSRL as a league were served by sports federations some of which still exist: (1) The "Summer Games" include the following games known collectively as " Turnspiele " in German: Schlagball (a German bat-and-ball sport), Fistball , Korbball  [ de ] (closely related to korfball ), Schleuderball and Ringtennis . The regional structure of the NSRL followed the Nazi Party model. Often two or more gaue were included in one region where it

2739-463: The NSRL sold lottery tickets as a source of self-financement. Von Tschammer's influence and power within the NSDAP also began rapidly eroding despite having been a committed topmost Nazi leader. He would, however, never witness Germany's defeat and humiliation in the war, for he died from pneumonia in Berlin in March 1943. Arno Breitmeyer , a fellow SA officer became the new Reichssportführer . As

2822-824: The NSRL. Von Tschammer trusted the organization of the Fourth Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Karl Ritter von Halt , whom he named President of the Committee for the organization of the Winter Games. As a result of the prestige acquired in this event, Karl Ritter von Halt would be elected member of the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1937,

2905-454: The Organizing Committee of the Berlin Olympic Games. Hans von Tschammer und Osten was a SA group leader and promoter of Nazism . In the name of gleichschaltung he disbanded the Deutscher Reichsausschuss für Leibesübungen on 5 May 1933 (officially on 10 May). Von Tschammer was then elevated to Reichssportführer on 19 July and the whole sports sphere in Germany was placed under his power. The Deutscher Reichsbund für Leibesübungen (DRL)

2988-419: The Ottoman Empire on 19 August 1914. Bulgaria was the last country to join the Central Powers, which it did in October 1915 by declaring war on Serbia. It invaded Serbia in conjunction with German and Austro-Hungarian forces . Bulgaria held claims on the region of Vardar Macedonia then held by Serbia following the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913 and the Treaty of Bucharest (1913) . As a condition of entering

3071-424: The Ottoman Empire. The German Empire also attempted to reach out to Iyasu, dispatching several unsuccessful expeditions to the region to attempt to encourage it to collaborate in an Arab Revolt -style uprising in East Africa. One of the unsuccessful expeditions was led by Leo Frobenius , a celebrated ethnographer and personal friend of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Under Iyasu's directions, Ethiopia probably supplied weapons to

3154-472: The Reich for Physical Exercise ( German : Nationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für Leibesübungen , abbreviated NSRL ) was the umbrella organization for sports and physical education in Nazi Germany . The NSRL was known as the German League of the Reich for Physical Exercise ( German : Deutscher Reichsbund für Leibesübungen , abbreviated DRL) until 1938. The organization was expanded to Austria after that country's annexation by Nazi Germany . The NSRL

3237-420: The Russian government would not tolerate Austria-Hungary invading Serbia. However, with Germany supporting Austria-Hungary's actions, the Austro-Hungarian government hoped that Russia would not intervene and that the conflict with Serbia would remain a regional conflict. Austria-Hungary's invasion of Serbia resulted in Russia declaring war on the country, and Germany, in turn, declared war on Russia, setting off

3320-510: The already powerless German Football Association was finally wound up. Following the 1938 Munich Agreement and the liquidation of Czechoslovakia as a state, the ethnic Sudeten German football teams played in the Gauliga Sudetenland . The NSRL formed two groups in 1939, which were raised to three in 1941. None of these teams were able to make it to the final stages of the German football champions . Czech clubs continued to play their own Bohemia/Moravia championship A separate Gauliga for

3403-440: The assassination and complete compliance by Serbia in agreeing to the terms demanded by Austria-Hungary. Serbia submitted to accept most of the demands. However, Austria-Hungary viewed this as insufficient and used this lack of full compliance to justify military intervention. These demands have been viewed as a diplomatic cover for an inevitable Austro-Hungarian declaration of war on Serbia. Russia had warned Austria-Hungary that

Gauliga Westfalen - Misplaced Pages Continue

3486-419: The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand as having been orchestrated with the assistance of Serbia . The country viewed the assassination as setting a dangerous precedent of encouraging the country's South Slav population to rebel and threaten to tear apart the multinational country. Austria-Hungary sent a formal ultimatum to Serbia demanding a full-scale investigation of Serbian government complicity in

3569-423: The beginning of the clash of alliances that resulted in the World War. Austria-Hungary was internally divided into two states with their own governments, joined through the Habsburg throne. Austria, also known as Cisleithania , contained various duchies and principalities but also the Kingdom of Bohemia , the Kingdom of Dalmatia , and the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria . Hungary ( Transleithania ) comprised

3652-491: The chief editor of NS-Sport , the official organ of the Reich Sports Office. Other DRL/NSRL publications included Dietwart , a sports magazine with excellent illustrations and Sport und Staat (Sports and State), a massive four-volume Nazi propaganda report on the organized sports activities in Nazi Germany. Sport und Staat was made by Arno Breitmeyer and Hitler's personal photographer Heinrich Hoffmann . This lavishly illustrated work had many pictures and information about

3735-410: The controversial measures taken by the Sports Office of the Reich at the time, the staging of the massive Reichssportfest event on Trinity Sunday was a decision that shocked devout Catholics . In 1935 journalist Guido von Mengden , was named public relations officer of the Reich Sports Office. He became the personal advisor and consultant of the Reichssportführer in 1936, and subsequently became

3818-478: The country needed time to prepare for conflict. Germany provided financial aid and weapons shipments to the Ottoman Empire. After pressure escalated from the German government demanding that the Ottoman Empire fulfill its treaty obligations, or else Germany would expel the country from the alliance and terminate economic and military assistance, the Ottoman government entered the war with the recently acquired cruisers from Germany, along with their own navy, launching

3901-467: The country to launch an offensive towards Paris. This caused Great Britain to declare war against the German Empire, as the action violated the Treaty of London that both nations signed in 1839 guaranteeing Belgian neutrality. Subsequently, several states declared war on Germany in late August 1914, with Italy declaring war on Germany in August 1916, the United States in April 1917, and Greece in July 1917. After successfully beating France in

3984-422: The decision was made by a hurriedly instituted three-man commission. Thus, in April 1933, Hans von Tschammer und Osten, a figure formerly unknown in German sports, was named Reichskommissar für Turnen und Sport (Commissioner for Gymnastics and Sports of the Reich). Von Tschammer, however, would keep his predecessor in a high position in the sports body, and years later he would appoint Theodor Lewald as president of

4067-432: The different fronts, so the NSRL concentrated in training and staging local or regional events for younger athletes. Already in 1940 monetary funds for organizing sporting venues, such as the prestigious Kiel Week sailing competition, were not forthcoming. Contributors felt emboldened to deny funds to the formerly influential branches of the Nazi Sports Office owing to the war-related shifting of priorities. During this time

4150-541: The face of British and Arab gains in Palestine and Syria . Austria and Hungary concluded ceasefires separately during the first week of November following the disintegration of the Habsburg Empire and the Italian offensive at Vittorio Veneto ; Germany signed the armistice ending the war on the morning of 11 November 1918 after the Hundred Days Offensive , and a succession of advances by New Zealand , Australian , Canadian , Belgian , British , French and US forces in north-eastern France and Belgium . There

4233-405: The first award of the Iron Cross in the city of Breslau itself in 1813. On 21 December 1938 a decree was issued by Adolf Hitler changing the name of the Reich Sports Body to Nationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für Leibesübungen ( NSRL ), thereby "elevating it to an organization served by the NSDAP ". This name change meant that the NSRL would be "placed under" the Nazi Party. Its seat would be

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4316-411: The following two years plunged the NSRL into irrelevance. The once mighty Nazi Sports Body had to give up its weight and its position of pride long before the war was lost. On 31 May 1945, after Nazi Germany's defeat in World War II , the American Military Government issued a special law outlawing the Nazi party and all of its branches. Known as "Law number five", this Denazification decree disbanded

4399-400: The following: Numbering according to Departments and Departmental Federations. Championships in the individual types of sports were duly organized by the corresponding associations and federations. Among the events directly organized by the NS Reichsbund für Leibesübungen the most important were: Final solution Parties Central Powers The Central Powers , also known as

4482-415: The forerunner of the DRL/NSRL, became the chief organizer of the Berlin Olympic Games. Diem held high posts in the Reichs Sports office even after the Olympics, being named leader of the Foreign Department of the Nationalsocialist Sports Office in 1939 by the Reichssportführer . As such Carl Diem was responsible for the issues of German athletes in foreign countries, as well as for the international affairs of

4565-418: The good organization that the Sports Body of the Reich was able to provide. The NSRL's obvious competence succeeded in instilling a spirit of unity and pride among the German sportsmen and women as well as their supporters. Moreover, even if not duly credited, many of the NSRL's systemic improvements in sports are still in use in today's sports organizations. Besides the departments above, certain competences of

4648-457: The large cities, carefully organized to arouse nationalistic fervor, were replaced by military parades of German warriors. Successful sportsmen found it increasingly difficult to compete with frontline war heroes in capturing the attention of the German public. Even though the NSRL continued playing a big role in sporting activities among the youth for a few years, the atmosphere had changed. Many Germans were subjected to conscription and left for

4731-401: The league had ten clubs, playing each other once at home and once away. The league winner qualified for the German championship while the bottom two teams were relegated. The league remained unchanged until 1940. Throughout its existence, the league was dominated by what became the golden era of the FC Schalke 04 , who won it in every one of its eleven completed seasons. Schalke also took out

4814-413: The leagues last season, 1944–45, was meant to be staged in three regional groups with altogether 20 teams. Play never really got under way and no club absolved more than three matches, most none before it had to be suspended. With the end of the Nazi era, the Gauligas ceased to exist and the region of Westphalia found itself in the British occupation zone . Football in Westphalia restarted in 1946 with

4897-417: The nation until King Constantine's abdication in 1917. Following their armistice with the Central Powers, Romania was involved in the Russian Civil War against both the Whites and the Reds. Romania fought alongside the Central Powers until the country rejoined the war against them on November 10, 1918. Kelantanese rebels were supported by the Ottoman and German Empires during their rebellion against

4980-415: The national championship in 1934, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1942, along with being the losing finalist in 1938 and 1941. A cup win in 1937 and four lost finals in 1935, 1936, 1941 and 1942 were also added to this. Despite no other club from the region having any national success, this list means the Gauliga Westfalen was the single most successful league in Germany in this era. The start to the 1939–40 season

5063-438: The newly founded colony of Tanganyika . South West Africa , modern-day Namibia , came under German rule in 1885 and was absorbed into South Africa following its invasion in 1915. Togoland , now part of Ghana , was made a German protectorate in 1884. However, after a swift campaign , it was occupied by the Allies in 1915 and divided between French Togoland and British Togoland . The Jiaozhou Bay Leased Territory

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5146-449: The physical activity, but also the nationalism of Germans. Nordic aesthetic beauty and commitment to Germanic ideals of race went hand in hand during the Nazi era, and von Tschammer und Osten implemented a policy of racial exclusion within sports. Athletes of Jewish origin were excluded from participation in relevant sporting events. In 1936 Hans von Tschammer und Osten, as the head of the Deutscher Reichsbund für Leibesübungen, played

5229-425: The side of the Central Powers and later joined on the side of the Allied Powers . The Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria did not join until after World War I had begun. The Central Powers faced, and were defeated by, the Allied Powers, which themselves had formed around the Triple Entente . The Central Powers started with the Dual Alliance between the German Empire and Austria-Hungary. Then the Ottoman Empire joined with

5312-518: The two countries. Later that day, France , an ally of Russia, declared a state of general mobilization. In August 1914, Germany attacked Russia, citing Russian aggression as demonstrated by the mobilization of the Russian army, which had resulted in Germany mobilizing in response. After Germany declared war on Russia, France, with its alliance with Russia, prepared a general mobilization in expectation of war. On 3 August 1914, Germany responded to this action by declaring war on France. Germany, facing

5395-428: The various Nazi organizations, i.e. SA , NSKK , Bund Deutscher Mädel , Hitler Jugend , etc. Printed in 1934 by the publishing house of the German Sports Aid Funds, a branch of the DRL, only volume one and two of a planned series of four volumes were published. The aims of the promotion of sports in Nazi Germany included hardening the spirit of every German as well as making German citizens feel that they were part of

5478-423: The war dragged on, a huge number of members of the many branches of the NSRL, among them youngsters in their early teens, had to go to fight to the fronts. Since players were not available, except in shoddily organized military sports events in scattered frontline locations, sports life in Germany came practically to a standstill. The last von Tschammer und Osten Pokal football trophy was played in Vienna in 1943 and

5561-554: The war on the side of the Central Powers, Bulgaria was granted the right to reclaim that territory. In opposition to offensive operations by Union of South Africa , which had joined the war, Boer army officers of what is now known as the Maritz Rebellion "refounded" the South African Republic in September 1914. Germany assisted the rebels, with some operating in and out of the German colony of German South-West Africa . The rebels were all defeated or captured by South African government forces by 4 February 1915. The Senussi Order

5644-423: The war, the Central Powers consisted of the German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire . The Ottoman Empire joined later in 1914, followed by the Tsardom of Bulgaria in 1915. In early July 1914, in the aftermath of the assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and faced with the prospect of war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia , Kaiser Wilhelm II and the German government informed

5727-432: Was a Muslim political-religious tariqa ( Sufi order ) and clan in Libya , previously under Ottoman control , which had been lost to Italy in 1912 . In 1915, they were courted by the Ottoman Empire and Germany, and Grand Senussi Ahmed Sharif as-Senussi declared jihad and attacked the Italians in Libya and the British in Egypt in the Senussi Campaign . In 1915, the Sultanate of Darfur renounced allegiance to

5810-416: Was a German dependency in East Asia leased from China in 1898. Japanese forces occupied it following the Siege of Tsingtao . German New Guinea was a German protectorate in the Pacific. It was occupied by Australian forces in 1914. German Samoa was a German protectorate following the Tripartite Convention . It was occupied by the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in 1914. Austria-Hungary regarded

5893-414: Was a reaction to the tensions between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. The German government regarded the Russian promise of no war with Germany to be nonsense in light of its general mobilization, and Germany, in turn, mobilized for war. On 1 August, Germany sent an ultimatum to Russia stating that since both Germany and Russia were in a state of military mobilization, an effective state of war existed between

5976-554: Was delayed with the outbreak of the Second World War on 1 September 1939 and league football was suspended. It only resumed at the beginning of November, with a number of local cup competitions having been played to bridge the gap. In 1940–41, the league expanded to twelve clubs, with the bottom four teams relegated. The season after, it returned to its original set-up and remained so until 1944. The imminent collapse of Nazi Germany in 1945 gravely affected all Gauligas and

6059-516: Was established on 27 July 1934 as the official Sports governing body of Nazi Germany. It would quickly become a formidable system within the German nation. After the DRL's foundation all other German sport associations gradually lost their freedom and were coopted into the DRL as mere units ("Fachämter"). Even the most prestigious ones, like the German Football Association (DFB) lost their independence. Von Tschammer's goal

6142-759: Was expedient to do so. (1) Thuringia , Anhalt and the Province of Saxony . — (2) Schleswig-Holstein , Hamburg and Mecklenburg . — (3) The Palatinate and (from 1935 onwards) the Saar Region . — (4) Austria from 1938 onwards. By 1 January 1937 the Nationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für Leibesübungen had 45,096 Associations with 3,582,776 active members (of whom 517,992 were female and 3,064,784 male). On 1 April 1939 there were 44,622 Associations with 3,668,206 active members (of whom 526,084 were female). The sports practiced were

6225-505: Was first excommunicated by the Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarch and eventually deposed in a coup d'état on 27 September 1916. A less pro-Ottoman regent, Ras Tafari Makonnen , was installed on the throne. Liechtenstein was officially neutral throughout World War I, though the general population and government was supportive of the Central Powers, particularly Austria-Hungary , of which the two countries had been in

6308-467: Was founded in 1885 and expanded to include modern-day Tanzania (except Zanzibar ), Rwanda , Burundi , and parts of Mozambique . It was the only German colony to not be fully conquered during the war, with resistance by commander Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck lasting until November 1918. Later it was surrendered to the Allies in 1919 and split between the Belgian Congo , Portuguese Mozambique , and

6391-614: Was introduced as compulsory before and after every game. Finally, the operation of junior sports teams was handed over to the local Hitlerjugend units. Despised by Nazis as unworthy of a true German, professionalism in sports was outlawed by the DRL in May 1938. Felix Linnemann , the German Football Association (DFB) president, was one of the greatest campaigners for amateurism in sports in Nazi Germany. In 1940,

6474-498: Was introduced by von Tschammer on 12 December 1936 as the official formal salutation by members of German sport organisations in the sport events that would be organized from that date onwards. The Nazi salute had already been introduced three years before by Josef Klein . On 17 March 1937 all German athletes were called by Hans von Tschammer und Osten to join the Hitler Youth . In 1937 two cricket (Germanized into "Kricket" by

6557-649: Was led by the Reichssportführer , who after 1934 simultaneously presided over the German National Olympic Committee . The NSRL's leaders were Hans von Tschammer und Osten (1933–1943), Arno Breitmeyer (1943–1944) and Karl Ritter von Halt (1944–1945). The 1916 Summer Olympics had been awarded to Berlin, but were canceled because of the duration of World War I. The Deutscher Reichsausschuss für Olympische Spiele (DRA or DRAfOS) "German Imperial Commission for Olympic Games" ,

6640-487: Was over. The more conservative nationalistic and bourgeois clubs were allowed to subsist into the following year. On 12 April 1933 Theodor Lewald gave in to the Nazi authorities and resigned as leader of the German Sports Office after it was revealed his paternal grandmother was Jewish. The Nazi minister of the interior, Wilhelm Frick , interfered with the process of the election of a new Sports leader, and

6723-551: Was permitted by Germany and Austria-Hungary to form independent Polish legions . Piłsudski wanted his legions to help the Central Powers defeat Russia and then side with France and the UK and win the war with them. Below is a list of these non-state combatants. Bulgaria signed an armistice with the Allies on 29 September 1918, following a successful Allied advance in Macedonia . The Ottoman Empire followed suit on 30 October 1918 in

6806-474: Was the German Olympic Sports organization at that time. In 1917 the "German Imperial Commission for Olympic Games" was renamed Deutscher Reichsausschuss für Leibesübungen (DRA, sometimes also DRL or, more rarely, DRAfL: "German Imperial Commission for Physical Exercise"). The name change reflected Germany's protest against the fact that Germany and other Central Powers were being excluded from

6889-480: Was to build a formidable Nazi sports body to which all German sports associations would be submitted. His vision was that physical exercise would "improve the morale and productivity of German workers" as well as making sports a source of national pride for the Germans. Sporting skills were made a criterion for school graduation as well as a necessary qualification for certain jobs and admission to universities. Among

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