Germany always had the fortune of getting stomped by world events before it could settle into itself.

1871-1914: "Being unified is kinda neat"

1914: "Let's aid Austria, it will be a short war!"

1918-1933: Socdems backstabbing.

1933-1945: "You know what would be cool? The things the bourgoisie wanted to to the last time, which even the nobility deemed to be fucked up."

1945-today: Vassal of the US, with near zero independence post cold war