Germany, Spain, China.
Not surprised with the results for Germany but a bit surprised China and Spain rank so lowly. Spain is the best minor to play IMO; a fascinating civil war that could go either way, decisions to enter the war, stay neutral or start a new Spanish Empire. Seriously one of the the most fun games I've ever had back in HOI2 was conquering Portugal, Sweden to build up my IC, DOW on Germany to take my slice of southern France after the Americans had arrived and then launching my reconquista in South America.
China is just a fascinating country to play and it's great building up such a backwards country and trying to turn it into a superpower. As for winning...the trick is to last until the US enters the war..join Allies...you win!
Overall I'd have to say that Germany is the most interesting choice: most events, exploring the great "what ifs" about the war, great army, outstanding commanders, advanced tech teams while being challenging as well.
I can understand why some people like Japan, it's very challenging and requires a lot more micromanagement and planning than almost any other country. France is good for something different; a country focused on building defense vs grand conquests.
OK back to 1.03