Don't worry about Germany

[Last Hussar]

I know some people are under the mistaken impression that Germany wants to become an Empire again.

May I point out...

The Third Reich was a fanciful term, referencing the Holy Roman Empire as the 1st, and the 19th Century power of Prussia/Germany as the 2nd.

The First Reich lasted about a thousand years.
The Second Reich lasted about a hundred years.
The Third Reich lasted about ten years.

It is possible the Fourth Reich has been and gone, and no-one noticed...

[Gwydion]

Yes...but...
Fourth probably started c1955, West Germany joined NATO, East Germany joined Warsaw Pact - whole of Germany trusted with lots of things that go 'Bang!' again. Wirtschaftswunder' during same period. So - c35 years.

Fifth - reunification c1990 (89-91) bringing old East Germany up to speed (still going?) and joint controller of EU. So c33 years and still going.

Maybe it's the Sixth Reich we need to worry about?

[Last Hussar]

So your argument is they are in the EU? Like France, Spain and Italy?

I mean, given the ability for member nations to block stuff, who would be stupid enough to leave it based on the lie that it's controlled by Germany.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Boris ? Farage ? Rees-Mog ?

[Ben Waterhouse]

The Eu is the Fourth Reich..

[FierceKitty]

You may remember the great Tom Lehrer's lines:

Once all the Germans were warlike and mean,
But that couldn't happen again.
We taught them a lesson in 1918,
And they've hardly bothered us since then.

[steve_holmes_11]

I know some people are under the mistaken impression that Germany wants to become an Empire again.

May I point out...

The Third Reich was a fanciful term, referencing the Holy Roman Empire as the 1st, and the 19th Century power of Prussia/Germany as the 2nd.

The First Reich lasted about a thousand years.
The Second Reich lasted about a hundred years.
The Third Reich lasted about ten years.

It is possible the Fourth Reich has been and gone, and no-one noticed...

1974

 

Franz Beckenbauer, Sepp Maier, Berti Vogts, Paul Breitner, Wolfgang Overath and fieldmarschall Helmut Schön.

[Last Hussar]

Ben,  don't wind me up! Or I'll rant about Farage. 

[Gwydion]

So your argument is they are in the EU? Like France, Spain and Italy?

I mean, given the ability for member nations to block stuff, who would be stupid enough to leave it based on the lie that it's controlled by Germany.

Er no...this is the rebuilding phase... did you miss the bit where it was the next iteration that might be the problem? (oh, and it's a joke)

[steve_holmes_11]

Voltaire observed that the HRE failed on all three counts.
It's Empire credentials come something between an incompetent parish council, and a soap opera family-at war.

The second empire was slow in creation.
1813, the Prussian King's "An Mein Volk call to arms to full unification in 1890.
And dissolved by 1919 when the Kaiser's land were educed to a small estate beside the Dutch city of Doorn.

That third lot... the less said about them, the better.
Al Murray's "Pub Landlord" character has a sketch based on a skinny vegetarian and his big-eating pal causing trouble at the pub's buffet night.
It's pretty clear who the characters are based on.

[Ben Waterhouse]

Ben,  don't wind me up! Or I'll rant about Farage. 

Two world wars and one world cup!

[flamingpig0]

You should be more worried about India