---
title: "Which came first, Germany or India?"
description: "Germany vs India: Germany came first, by 76 years — 1871 against 1947. What happened in each case, and why the dates are often given differently."
url: https://atoneplace.net/which-came-first/germany-vs-india/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Which came first, Germany or India?

**Which came first, Germany or India?: Germany**

1871 — 76 years before India

Germany came first, by 76 years. The German Empire was proclaimed at Versailles.

## Side by side

|  | Germany | India |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Year | 1871 | 1947 |
| Date | 1871-01-18 | 1947-08-15 |
| Category | country | country |
| What happened | The German Empire was proclaimed at Versailles. | India became independent from British rule. |

## Germany

Germany as a unified state dates from 1871, which makes it younger than the United States, Canada, Italy and the bicycle. It then ceased to exist as a single state in 1949 and was reunified on 3 October 1990, so the current Federal Republic in its present borders is younger than the personal computer. Nintendo, founded in 1889, is older than most people's mental image of Germany allows.

## India

India became independent on 15 August 1947 and a republic on 26 January 1950, when the constitution took effect — which is why the country has two national days. It remained a dominion with the British monarch as head of state for those two and a half years. India as a civilisation is thousands of years older; India as a state with its present borders is younger than the ballpoint pen.

## Common questions

### Which came first, Germany or India?

Germany, by 76 years — 1871 against 1947.

### When did Germany start?

1871. The German Empire was proclaimed at Versailles.

### When did India start?

1947. India became independent from British rule.

## Related pages

- [Big Ben or Germany?](https://atoneplace.net/which-came-first/big-ben-vs-germany/)
- [the Eiffel Tower or Germany?](https://atoneplace.net/which-came-first/eiffel-tower-vs-germany/)
- [Germany or the Statue of Liberty?](https://atoneplace.net/which-came-first/germany-vs-statue-of-liberty/)
- [Germany or the United States?](https://atoneplace.net/which-came-first/germany-vs-united-states/)
- [Germany or Pakistan?](https://atoneplace.net/which-came-first/germany-vs-pakistan/)
- [Germany or the telephone?](https://atoneplace.net/which-came-first/germany-vs-telephone/)
- [Germany or the lightbulb?](https://atoneplace.net/which-came-first/germany-vs-lightbulb/)
- [Germany or Nintendo?](https://atoneplace.net/which-came-first/germany-vs-nintendo/)
- [India or the United States?](https://atoneplace.net/which-came-first/india-vs-united-states/)
- [India or Pakistan?](https://atoneplace.net/which-came-first/india-vs-pakistan/)
- [India or television?](https://atoneplace.net/which-came-first/india-vs-television/)
- [India or LEGO?](https://atoneplace.net/which-came-first/india-vs-lego/)

## Sources

- Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (https://www.wikidata.org/) [CC0 1.0]