Important Dates and German Cabinet Antics

Yester-day was the nineteenth of October. On this date in 1781, the Independence of the American Republic was recognised when Lieutenant-General Charles, Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown to General George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Forces of the United States and France. He first attempted to surrender to the commander of allied French forces, General Comte de Rochambeau, through his second in command O'Hara. However, le Comte directed Cornwallis to surrender to Washington, who was the overall commander. Eventually, Cornwallis surrendered to General Benjamin Lincoln, Washington's second-in-command. The articles of capitulation, though primarily concerned with disposition of prisoners, contained a de facto recognition of the young Republic. This was formalised two years later on 3 September 1783 in Article I of the Second Treaty of Paris.
In Germany, the CDU has finally seen fit to name its six cabinet ministers. They now control the key ministries of Defence and Economics. However, the Economics minister, Edmund Stoiber, leaves much to be desired. He's socially conservative, but he's more akin to Schroeder's outgoing SPD in the realm of economics. Don't expect Germany to improve its economic situation anytime soon. Read more about him and the other CDU ministers at David's Medienkritik. He also has a list and descriptions of the eight SPD ministers. Signs aren't very encouraging from that side of the isle either. The SPD Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, is a Scroeder ally. David thinks that he'll continue the anti-American policy of the German Government.
When can we get Prussia back?