why is germany so successful?

[Jon Shafer]

Germany has always had a large population, centralized location and good land (resources). They'd learned how to use those factors time and time again, and Germany became a superpower.

However, like Nebukadnezar, Germany's time in the sun is over. There are larger and more powerful countries in the world, though Germany will hold a powerful role in Europe for some time. Germans have always been able to use war to their advantage (well, until this previous century), and the world today isn't really condusive to wars of expansion, etc. which puts Germany back into the same position as most other nations of its size and power.

 

[Jon Shafer]

I know what you mean, poor Poland hasn't been so successful for a few centuries, after probably saving all of Europe from the Ottomans. I guess that's just how the ball drops though... there have certainly been times when Germans have been under Polish rule, the roles just switched in the past few centuries until fairly recently.

Napoleon, I wouldn't go so far as to say that Germany is an economic superpower. Right now that role pretty much fits only the USA, as it holds advantages over every other country by leaps and bounds. I think it would be more accurate to say that Germany is an economic power in Europe, if you're going to say anything about that sort of thing.

I think that Vonsson has a point about how Germany was 'neutered' after WWII... I've talked to quite a few Germans, and they're either very patriotic (rather rare), or seemingly almost disgusted to be German, which, IMO, is rather sad. If not either of these, they they'll be very apathetic about being German, to an extreme. Germany has much to be proud of and it's a pity that Germans are taught to be ashamed of their history, simply because some insane idiot tried to stir up trouble recently.

 

[Jon Shafer]

Originally posted by Ranec
The word "mastermind" was perhaps a little exagurated, however the partitions were in fact a prussian idea. Prussia being a small and relativelly weak (in comparison to Russia and Austria-Hungary) nation had a lot to win from the partitions and a lot to lose if poland was to remain unchecked.
The russians more then happily agreed to the prussian plans and the austrians only participated in the partitions to keep the balance of power in the area.
Even if Poland at this time was not a paradise the partitions are never the less one of the most unwarranted occupations of a sovereign nation ever. Poland ( or rather the Republic of Poland and Grand Dutchy of Lithuania) was at this time at peace with all of its neighbours.


"The only reason the Germans don't completely dominate the European and possibly world scene is because the rest of the world finds it nessessary to gang up on them and overwhelm them"

What I meant to say was that the statement above is an insultment off all the people who died during the german occupation....It was neccesary to overwhealm Germany otherwise a lot of people would not be alive today....clearly the germans were not getting rid of the nazis by themselves so crushing Germany was neccesary, and probably for the best...even for the germans´in the long run.

Well, I hate to tell you, but conquering nations at peace to make one stronger isn't exactly a concept invented by Prussia.

 

[Jon Shafer]

Bourbon is correct in many of his comments.

Germany actually had a larger army than the USSR did for quite a while... up into 1944 even, IIRC. The problem is that the USSR had one long front to cover. The Germans had Norway, the entire French coast, Germany, the Balkans, North Africa (even though it only sucked up ~3 or 4 divisions), and defense of all the areas it controlled, in addition to the Soviet front. By 1943 a full 2/5 of the German front-line army was stationed in the West to defend against the Allies.