German Historical Route The "German catastrophe" that occurred in the 20th century represented an unprecedented phenomenon, difficult to explain given the previous historical development of the country. Specifically, the rise of Nazi Germany led to radical changes in the country's governance system, social values, social institutions, etc., changes that were unexpected from a historical perspective. The Sonderweg is a historiographical theory that underlines the idea that the German path towards democracy was unique, compared to other Western countries. That is to say, supporters of this concept "emphasize peculiarities of German history, such as political institutions, social structures, or mentalities and experience" (Buse & Doerr, The Songerweg emphasizes the particular historical pattern that Germany, unlike other Western countries, it has In particular, "supporters of this concept emphasize the peculiarities of German history, such as political institutions, social structures, or mentalities and experience, usually in comparison with other Western countries, to demonstrate the unique course of German history" (Buse & Doerr, 1998, p. 934). Although initially the Sonderweg theory considered the characteristics of German historical development to be positive, the situation changed after the Second World War. In particular, in 19th and early 20th century historians have applied the Sonderweg model to emphasize the role of a strong central state and the military as a driving force in the country's development (Buse & Doerr, 1998). In addition to this, historians viewed the social reforms in Germany as being done from above rather than being the result of the revolution as a positive feature that represented the German state favorably. Finally, the historical school considered the course of German industrialization and culture superior to that developed in the rest of Western Europe