Most powerful Country in Europe in History

posted on May 11th, 2011, 9:07 am

how put Austria 

Well, there was a time when Austria had about the strength of Prussia, which has been brought up here several times as well. Austria also had more citizens and more space than prussia back then. However, in the same time it would still be considered Germany. It is questionable, but not totally nonsense. But if Austria is in, Italy should be there as well.

posted on May 31st, 2011, 10:30 am

1) I put Austria because they were at some point, very very powerful
2) I didn't put italy because until about 1850 they were a bunch of kingdoms, they were culturally linked but I am talking about politics.(cause I'm mean :fish:)
3) I personally voted for France because I'm French  , And I believe that this is completely true. YouTube
- ‪France review‬‏

posted on May 31st, 2011, 6:52 pm

I can't believe there's even any debate on this one. It most certainly would have to be Italy. Say it with me now, the Romans kicked the shit out of everyone in Europe based on relative historical power and significance for that matter. Certainly a number of European nations have created vast empires over the course of time but the glory of Rome lasted for over 1000 years. They set the precedent for all empires that followed.

posted on May 31st, 2011, 7:14 pm

Please.

We all know that the most powerful country in Europe is Latveria.  It's ruler is DOOOM!

posted on June 1st, 2011, 7:18 am

@Immercenary: In fact you are right, but Rome was taken out here .

@ Grand Admiral
Before 1871 Germany also wasn't more than a bunch of kingdoms, Prussia, Austria, Bavaria... And since Austria was only powerful in a quite short period I'd throw them out. If you leave them in, you could also take Denmark and of course Italy.

France definitely has been a powerful country, but after Napoleon they pretty much lost everything: America, 2nd World War(of course they won in the end, but they've been crushed at the beginning and collaborated with the fascists), Vietnam, North Africa. Culturewise they probably were the best developped in the middle ages and until the 17th cent. There are things I like about the french mentality, they stand in for their rights, not like dumb German sheep, mourning all the time but doing nothing;). Otherwise they refuse to learn other languages and often seem to hate us Germans.

posted on June 1st, 2011, 9:59 am

If you take into consideration power from the past then the Netherlands should be included as well.

posted on June 6th, 2011, 10:48 pm

I marked Other, and would like to throw in Italy in reference to the Roman Empire

[Grand Admiral]

posted on June 16th, 2011, 4:25 am

Last edited by Grand Admiral on June 16th, 2011, 4:38 am, edited 1 time in total.

To people... The French military suffered a lot in the at Waterloo but since then and even now, it's military is the 4th most powerful. last year it was as powerful as the Russians. and the impression that France has lost it's cultural power is a hoax. to who sais that the French Colonial Empire disintegrated before the British don't know that they've had Guyanna from the 16th century and still have it (therefore the second empire still living.) and started some 50-70 years before the Brits. We almost conquered Europe twice and succeeded once.(Napoleon, Battle of Blenheim(LouisXIV), Charlemagne). and watch the video in my last post. France Invented the most military inventions to date(America started inventing military inventions 80 years ago, France had be there since 25 years after the fall of the Roman Empire) , Probably the most moving inventions.

EDIT: in the beginning I said after the Roman Empire, And Italy were devided between: Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, Papal state, Kingdom of Venice, Kingdom of Naples,  Austrian Empire, Kingdom of northern Italy, Kingdom of Savoy. so individual kingdoms may have created things, but the notion of "Italy" was taken in the 19 C.(no offence to you Italians) Then Germans. When we talk about "Germans" in history before Napo 3 we almost exclusively talk of the Prussians. unlike Italy, Germany had a State so big that its power rivalled that of other big empires (France, Austria, UK).

posted on June 17th, 2011, 8:27 pm

Dunno how such a thread can go on for this long there is no debating fact.

The british had the largest empire in human history which was over a 1/3rd of the world no other country has done this so with the title of the thread and facts in mind the answer is easy accept for the patriotic bunch thast appear to exist here if i were that way id have said russia but that wouldnt be true now would it, try to swallow that pride and accept fact now.

posted on June 17th, 2011, 9:55 pm

I am kinda late to the discussion, but I'd like to throw in my 2 cents here. I'll start by saying threads like this are not the best idea for obvious reasons.

I marked Other, and would like to throw in Italy in reference to the Roman Empire

Comparing modern Italy to the Roman Empire doesn't make much sense. Just like you can't compare modern Egypt with it's ancient predecessor or even Greece for that matter.

@Kestrel:
A fourth of the world would be more correct, counting area that is. And many colonies retained a large degree of autonomy. But how do you measure power? Size alone means little. Britain lost all of her colonies in under a century after World War 2. So in the end it was nothing more then a giant house of cards.

The great European nations were more or less equal in strength all factors considered. They just had a different focus. Britain always had a huge navy, while others entertained huge land armies.

Germany was denied a greater role in Europe by France and Britain, but it was and is a nation with a lot of potential. It defeated it's greatest opponent, France, almost trice from 1871 to 1945 and despite of being defeated in two world wars and suffering foreign occupation several times, it still is the largest country in Europe (by population and GDP) - even after substantial territorial losses.

Add to that the countless Germans that helped shaping society over the last centuries.

posted on June 18th, 2011, 2:42 pm

I am kinda late to the discussion, but I'd like to throw in my 2 cents here. I'll start by saying threads like this are not the best idea for obvious reasons.

Comparing modern Italy to the Roman Empire doesn't make much sense. Just like you can't compare modern Egypt with it's ancient predecessor or even Greece for that matter.

@Kestrel:
A fourth of the world would be more correct, counting area that is. And many colonies retained a large degree of autonomy. But how do you measure power? Size alone means little. Britain lost all of her colonies in under a century after World War 2. So in the end it was nothing more then a giant house of cards.

The great European nations were more or less equal in strength all factors considered. They just had a different focus. Britain always had a huge navy, while others entertained huge land armies.

Germany was denied a greater role in Europe by France and Britain, but it was and is a nation with a lot of potential. It defeated it's greatest opponent, France, almost trice from 1871 to 1945 and despite of being defeated in two world wars and suffering foreign occupation several times, it still is the largest country in Europe (by population and GDP) - even after substantial territorial losses.

Add to that the countless Germans that helped shaping society over the last centuries.

No it is 1/3rd of the world...historical fact im afraid no matter how much you dont want it to be true, and they did not lose them they gave them back their sovereignty they did not lose them, losing indicate that were force by something after ww2 every country in the world involved in the war was bankrupt and britian was no different it had to release it power over them to keep going. But in case you have forgotten this thread is about the most powerful country in history and again that is Great britian, they were not just large they werre powerful they ruled the seas for centurys and no one in history has matched that power. Again historical fact.

posted on June 18th, 2011, 2:56 pm

factual correction, the british empire at its greatest extent covered approx 23% of the earth's land area.

even if u give 5% either way, thats still less than a third.