When did Europe ever have the basic skills to survive in a battlefield? In WWII they became territories of Germany within days or weeks of being invaded.
When last I checked, the Germans were Europeans. ;-)
As for the Italians, once upon a time, long, long ago, they were the most fearsome fighting machine that Europe has ever produced with the Roman Empire extending from Britain to what is now Iraq.
I actually respect the Italians more these days than anybody else in Europe. They still have some nad. Too many communists though.
Although the Romans never conquered Germania Magna, thanks in part to Armenius, aka "Herman the German", who destroyed 3 legions. Plus, in the later Roman Empire, most of the soldiers and generals were German. When the Emperors ran out of money to pay their German armies, that was it for the empire.
Yep. They were pretty good back in the day. :O)