Germany
Civil unrest and political in-fighting among the noble families has plagued Germany for centuries and their current state of affairs is only tenuously calm for now. The major noble families have fought for power within the nation for a long period of time, but the last few decades have brought some calm to the people, resulting in the forging of an alliance with the nation of England.
Despite all the political unrest plaguing the country in recent history, they retain a surprising military force as well as a robust trade presence among the other nations. As a key player on the political front, they hold their own and are a vital part of the dynamic between many of the eastern European people and the other major nations of the continent.
As a powerful nation with a Protestant faith, they occasionally have issues with the Roman Catholic Church, adding some additional troubles that plague the nation in addition to the occasional tensions that rise up among the various lords of the country. Despite these troubles, the nation has a considerable amount of clout, though their intentions are clear. They make no secret of their desire to increase not only their land size and trade power but also their influence across the continent.
From the outside looking in, the Germans can seem cold and standoffish, but the truth is that they are often dealing with mistrust and misgivings due to the lengthy threat of political unrest causing upheaval within the workings of the nation. Appearances can be deceiving and those who know the German citizens well consider them a warm and welcoming people, once their trust has been earned.
Lavish gatherings and spending have never been a pastime of the German nation, so their appearance as well as their affairs tend to be more conservative overall, especially when compared to larger or more well established nations. They value family, nation and self-sufficiency above all else and their pride of nation is bolstered by the instability that has plagued the country for so long. Once they have a flag to stand behind, they do so with a vigor unrivaled by almost any other.
Their pride and resilience also applies to their faith, which they stand behind staunchly and unapologetically. Proudly Protestant, they rebuke the firm hand of the Roman Catholic Church and prefer to embrace their own beliefs as a way to reinvigorate their people to loyalty and pride of the leaders of the nation.
German Relations at a Glance
ENGLAND – Though no official ties have connected these two nations, they are well-known allies of the English and their reciprocal trade of both goods and military resources is a boon to both nations, though perhaps more so the Germans.
FRANCE – Keen on westward expansion, Germany has routinely made attempts to land grab from the nation of France, particularly when tensions among their own lands have subsided enough to give them the military resources with which to make an advance.
ITALY – Often considered the thorn that prevents them from a successful campaign on French soil, the Germans occasionally have tense and disapproving relations with the nation of Italy, though their power prevents them from acting outrightly against them.
SCOTLAND – Germany considers Scotland to be another potential ally, not only for the fact that they also practice a Protestant faith but also for their close proximity to the English nation, making it a valuable nation to use in making stronger ties with England.
SPAIN – Relations between Spain and Germany are fairly civil and neutral. Germany has enough issues to deal with within their own nation and have forged enough of a powerful alliance with England to make Spain a non-issue for the nation of Germany.
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH – As proud Protestants, the Germans and the Roman Catholic Church have tense relations, rebuking the influence of the Catholic Church as much as they can within their nation and just barely tolerating it outside their borders.
PROTESTANT CHURCH – The Germans are a proud people and their pride in their Protestant faith is no exception to this. They have embraced the ideals and teachings of the Protestant beliefs, making it paramount to their identity on an international scale.
MIDDLE CLASS – The embrace of Protestantism has given the Germans a more humanist stance than many other nations and as a result, they aim to help those of the lower class rise, though not so high as to become an issue with continued in-fighting.
LOWER CLASS – The Germans have spread their ideals through all layers of their society and often aim to aid the lower class to not only spread the ideals further but also to gain more loyal followers to prevent uprisings due to in-fighting for the throne.
