NationStates Jolt Archive

Battles against Rome before the Middle ages- Victories, eventually

Charlemange's wars- Victories, but hard to count only as german

30 years war- German lands decimated, loss

Napoleonic wars- Lost, saved by Russians and British.

Wars of Unification- Victories, the height of Prussian power(well, obviously ww2, but they lost then :P)

World War one- Lost

World War two- Lost, decides to let its long time enemies defend it against its short-lived enemy, and not get in any more wars.



Im sure I missed a good deal, but I made this thread basically in response to the French one around the internet, etc. You can spin them many ways, and many dont look that great, despite how many good battles they put up.

What about the Seven Years' War? What about the war in which they took territory from France, and even marched into Paris?

Prussia > You.

Okay, even though Germany lost in the World Wars they didn't go down easily. Look at how badly they mauled the Soviet Union in WW2.

(...)Good Ol' Charley was French but born in what is now known as The Netherlands according to several historians.
Secondly, the "German" victories against the Romans don't count either. Back then the word "German" wasn't meant to identify a citizen of Germany, but to name the wild tribes living in Poland, above the Rhine and beyond.
I can hardly say the German defeat in WW1 isn't as staggering as many people claim. France and Britain were financially ruined and whole generations were gone, the French and Belgian countrysides were ravaged while Germany itself was untouched.30 years war- German lands decimated, lossThere was no Germany or even German lands back then. You can't say Germany as a whole was defeated.

Okay, even though Germany lost in the World Wars they didn't go down easily. Look at how badly they mauled the Soviet Union in WW2.

Thats where you get into trouble. Remember, this is a counter-argument to the french military losses thing that goes around. When you get into it, it really isnt that bad, but if you warp it the way you want, it can look really bad.

Good Ol' Charley was French but born in what is now known as The Netherlands according to several historians.
Secondly, the "German" victories against the Romans don't count either. Back then the word "German" wasn't meant to identify a citizen of Germany, but to name the wild tribes living in Poland, above the Rhine and beyond.
I can hardly say the German defeat in WW1 isn't as staggering as many people claim. France and Britain were financially ruined and whole generations were gone, the French and Belgian countrysides were ravaged while Germany itself was untouched.30 years war- German lands decimated, lossThere was no Germany or even German lands back then. You can't say Germany as a whole was defeated.

I didnt say germany as a whole was defeated. But german lands were decimated. Just because they were in principalities, called different things, the lands that are now german, were the eastern frankish empire, and were at that time the holy roman empire, were quite badly damaged. Whatever you want to call it.

The French did manage, by the turn of the 20th century, to accumulate a sufficiently impressive empire for the Germans to get jealous.

franco-prussian war, and there were probably some interesting campaigns durring colonization

.
Secondly, the "German" victories against the Romans don't count either. Back then the word "German" wasn't meant to identify a citizen of Germany, but to name the wild tribes living in Poland, above the Rhine and beyond.


just to clarify, slavic means people from poland and eastern europe,
germanic was totally different!

While the German countries lost to Napoleon the first time around - you can't really say that they lost in 1813. Quite the contrary, wouldn't you say?

And how could you forget the war of 1870-71? After all, the Germans defeated the French very thoroughly and founded the German Empire in Versailles, France.
(Guess why the Allies made the Germans sign that treaty after WWI there, ending the German Empire for good...).