“Germany has existed since the 9th century as a kingdom...” [Menes, post 21]
So what?
If “Germany” was so unified from the 10th century, why did the various subparts split up, fight with each other, join other coalitions, and behave in otherwise hostile ways?
Your comments have all the earmarks of a self-cancelling argument, but I cannot be sure, because I don’t quite understand what your argument is, exactly.
Historical analysis ought to go beyond moralizing spats over who was in somewhat remote historical times the “senior party,” and victimologist one-upmanship.
Modern Germany scared all the players on the gameboard, not merely by competing or threatening them, but by actually making war against them. Especially during the 19th century. And by launching some pretty serious conflicts in the 20th century. Justifying their recent (post-1815) behavior by declaring their culture & society to be preferable to those of their victims doesn’t hack it.
“If “Germany” was so unified from the 10th century, why did the various subparts split up, fight with each other, join other coalitions, and behave in otherwise hostile ways?”
When was this supposed to be? After the Reformation?
“Modern Germany scared all the players on the gameboard, not merely by competing or threatening them, but by actually making war against them. Especially during the 19th century. And by launching some pretty serious conflicts in the 20th century. Justifying their recent (post-1815) behavior by declaring their culture & society to be preferable to those of their victims doesn’t hack it.”
You mean the three wars of unification? Well, the leaders of the Austrians, Danes and French should not have started these three wars.
And the causes for WW 1 are by no means clear-cut. Those for WW 2 in Europe were, granted (the one in Asia was a rather different conflict).
But there is no need to discuss this discussion. After all, history is always written by the victors, who later did what they did. And there is no need to repat what happened then.
You will live with your version of history, which was concocted by the assortment of the accursed Germanophobic scum of the Anglo and French nations’ ruling caste (names are not needed here), while I will continue to look at my side of the story as well.
Have a nice day, and a nice life.