What if Germany never became unified in 1871?

[TheForeigner]

I think that the unification of Germany under the rule of Prussia and it's junker and militaristic elites, that was acomplished by Bismarck, was not a positive thing for Europe, but rather a long term disaster. I don't think anyone could deny that without the Second Reich, there would have been no ww1 and indeed no Third Reich and ww2 either. I don't mean that Germany should never have acomplished it's political unification into one nation state, but just that it would have been better for Europe and the rest of the world, if it happened much later and differently. Emperor Wilhelm II and Emperor Wilhelm I and Bismarck before him managed to needlesly make enemies of France, Great Britain and Russia. During the war they even managed to piss off the Americans and get them into war against them. Worst of all, they helped Lenin to get to Russia and start the Bolshevik Revolution and with German money too.

[TheForeigner]

I also think the US was right to intervene both times and that Hitler should have been stopped when he dared challenge the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Czechoslovakia and not to have Britain and France sell that country to Hitler.

[Kastrioti1443]

What if WCs would have never been invented???????

[Dombra]

Blaming Germany for the world wars is simplistic

[armenianbodyhair]

I agree with your sentiments, but there is no way to know. A power void maybe.

[TheForeigner]

Blaming Germany for the world wars is simplistic

Why did Germany went out of it's way to make so many enemies and had such an aggresive foreign policy? Even Bismarck told Wilhelm II to not listen so much to the militaristic circles he was advised by anymore. Why did that emperor started a naval arms race with Britain and does making that country into an enemy? Why did even Bismarck alienated Russia with his machinations at the Berlin Congress of 1878, which robbed Russia of the fruits of it's victory and also screwed over big time the Balkan Christians placed again under direct Ottoman rule, especially in Macedonia, Thrace and Kosovo. He played into the hands of Jew prime minister of Britain Disraeli.

[Ianus]

No WWI e WWII apparentely. France mayor European power.

[TheForeigner]

I agree with your sentiments, but there is no way to know. A power void maybe.

Not really. France was the dominant power on the continent before 1871 and would have stayed so. Outside continental Europe, it was Britain and towards the end of that century the US became a major world power too.

[armenianbodyhair]

Not really. France was the dominant power on the continent before 1871 and would have stayed so. Outside continental Europe, it was Britain and towards the end of that century the US became a major world power too.

The whole thing about that though is power dynamics were in the process of changing. I don't think it would stayed that way forever, what makes you think otherwise.

[TheForeigner]

The whole thing about that though is power dynamics were in the process of changing. I don't think it would stayed that way forever, what makes you think otherwise.

If France defeated Prussia and it's German allies, then there would not be a united Germany or a weaker and slightly smaller one. No other continental power could challenge France. That is why Napoleon III thought he could easily smash the Prussians and Germans. The French should had alllied themselves with Austria against Prussia in the war of 1866 instead. It would have been good if there was still an independent Poland, which would have fought by France's side. They should have sent crazy Napoleon I to St. Helena from the begining in 1814 and not to Elba, close to France. There was at the time the intention of the British, French and Austrians to go to war against Russia, if necessary, to liberate Poland and cut them down to size. Maybe they could even have gotten Prussia on their side or just beat them too and weaken them. Either way, Prussia and it's brand of militarism and it's rise in Europe, was disastrous in the long run. I'm sick of reading many right wing Westerners, usually American, who sing the praises of Prussia and Germany and blame everyone else, except Germany, for both wars. I tend to think Woodrow Wilson was not a bad president either and did the right thing. They should have not accepted that armistice, but bring the war into Germany and really kick their asses, so they wont say they were undefeated and cheated. Also, everything they gave in territory to Poland was justified by history and ethnic demographics. They should have given more back to Poland and had no right over an inch of Czechoslovakia. Sudeten Germans had been brought there by Czech kings and later the Habsburgs too, so them claiming any of that land, is like some tenant claiming the right to own that which he pays rent for.