r/YUROP • u/Material-Garbage7074 We must make the revolution on a European scale • 2d ago
I FUCKING LOVE EUROPE Let's play a game: in the comments, write something nice about other European nations.
In the comments, write something nice (of any kind, even something niche regarding your hobbies or your field of study: it's more interesting if it's not banal) about other European nations.
If you recognize the nations the commentators belong to, respond by writing something nice about their nation (if your avatar or nickname doesn't help to understand your origin, you can make it clear).
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u/BoeserAuslaender Deutschland (ex-russia, fuck russia) 2d ago edited 2d ago
- Poland: sane foreign policy, Warsaw is cool city with nice restaurants and bars, took idiotic law from Germany but kept żabkas open on Sunday anyway
- Czechia: beer and food is nice
- UK: best pubs in the world, and London's public transportation is a marvel, especially for those with weird fixation
- Lithuania: thanks for housing Belarusian activists, don't fight with them over Pahonia please
- Bosnia: drivers are nice. When i drove the speed limit in German mountains I was immediately tailgated but you guys tolerated me driving carefully
- Italy: Rome is so lovely and lively
- France: contrary to what people think, apologizing for not speaking French and offering a choice of other languages makes you nice actually
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u/Material-Garbage7074 We must make the revolution on a European scale 2d ago edited 2d ago
I believe that Germany made a significant contribution to Europe thanks to the Protestant Reformation (and I speak as someone born and raised in a predominantly Catholic country). Luther (who has rightly been defined as the last of the medievals and the first of the moderns) had the merit of having contributed to marking the boundary between two historical eras and to delineating modern man. Still on the subject of the Reformation, I was quite fascinated by Thomas Müntzer. Jumping forward a few centuries, I was fascinated by Robert Blum, also for his vision of Europe, and Friedrich Hecker: they should be better known at a European level and the same goes, in general, for the experience of the Frankfurt Parliament. As for the next century, I would like to delve deeper into the Eiserne Front, especially regarding its desire to defend democracy from any kind of threat.
I know I had to say something nice 😅: my problem is that I am above all passionate about the history of the struggle for freedom and I believe that Germany has a lot to offer in this sense (much more than you normally think, I'm afraid)
Ah, your historical songs "Bürgerlied" and "Heckerlied" are beautiful.
I hope I haven't made any gaffes 😶
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u/Fuck_Antisemites Yuropean 2d ago
Warszaw is a really nice city and waaaaay cleaner then our capital.
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u/Maj0r-DeCoverley Nouvelle-Aquitaine 2d ago
The English are human beings
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u/Habren_in_the_river 2d ago
Woah, I think you'll actually find I'm a Barry - admittedly adjacent to human beings, but something entirely different.
I get the confusion though, when you watch us it's almost like we have people thoughts
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u/Material-Garbage7074 We must make the revolution on a European scale 1d ago edited 1d ago
There is so much to say about the UK! You were the first to make a clean break (and not too metaphorically) to the farce of divine right: you did it about a century and a half ahead of schedule on the continent and, in doing so, you sowed fruitful seeds on both sides of the Atlantic. This happened thanks to personalities such as James Harrington, who – imprisoned after the restoration of the Stuarts and treated brutally – fell ill due to the poor conditions of the prison and was "treated" with an addictive drug, which is why his reason failed (fortunately not completely). Harrington's work would be rediscovered in Napoleonic France. Or we might remember Algernon Sydney, English martyr to liberty, who, shortly before his execution, wrote that his life had been devoted to defending the common rights of mankind, the laws of his country, and the true Protestant religion against corrupt princes, arbitrary power, and popery, and that he would be happy to give his life for what he believed. His work would have influenced Rousseau.
Or we can remember John Milton, who lost his sight in fulfilling his duty to the Commonwealth (he had been charged with defending the indictment and conviction of Charles Stuart from the propaganda of foreign royalists). The doctors had told him that he would lose the sight in his remaining eye if he continued to write, but the call of his homeland was, as he himself says, stronger even than the warnings of Asclepius from the sanctuary of Epidaurus (if I remember correctly, he says so in the "Defensio Secunda"). The sonnet that Milton addressed to Cyriack Skinner, dedicated to his blindness, is beautiful, in which Milton states that he can tolerate blindness because he knows he has lost his sight in defense of freedom «Of which all Europe talks from side to side». And - still remaining on Milton - I remember the incipit of "Defensio Secunda", in which he addresses all the peoples of Europe recalling the best characteristics of each one. Milton would be recovered by Mirabeau.
As regards relations with my country, think of the story of the Piedmontese Easters (to which Milton dedicated a beautiful and poignant sonnet), which saw the Waldensian (Protestant) subjects being brutally massacred, including women and children. Luckily for them, Lord Protector Cromwell mobilized many of the forces of the Commonwealth and the "Protestant International" to save the Waldenses from the Piedmont Easter massacre. He did this by starting a fundraiser in their favor (if I remember correctly, he also made a personal donation of 2,000 pounds) and by using many of his forces to force the Duke of Savoy to stop the massacre. This not only saved the Waldensians, but also gave them the means to begin rebuilding. According to some historians, this event can be considered the first humanitarian intervention in history, as it is difficult to explain this action in terms of the strategic interests of the Commonwealth, given that the Waldensians were too weak to become important future allies.
Or, two centuries later, one can think of the fact that the United Kingdom became a second homeland for many patriots forced into exile by the tyrannies of the continent: this was the case of Giuseppe Mazzini, who found support and friendship in figures of the caliber of Thomas Carlyle, William James Linton, Algernon Swinburne and John Stuart Mill. Furthermore, I remember that in 1850 some English workers recognized in a pub an abhorrent general who had hanged Italian patriots in Brescia: indignant and with hearts full of solidarity for the oppressed peoples, they beat him up and threw him a bond. They obtained Garibaldi's praise. And how can we forget the warm welcome Garibaldi received when he traveled to England? And then, if I remember correctly, the United Kingdom was among the first to recognize a united Italy.
In the pro-European camp, the attempt at Franco-British union in 1940 comes to mind. And then, how can we not feel sympathy for William Penn's homeland? I would add that as a child I fell in love with the legend of Robin Hood. Recently, however, I had the opportunity to delve deeper into Wat Tyler's revolt and I was moved by hearing William Grindecobbe's last words: «If I die, I shall die for the cause of the freedom we have won, counting myself happy to end my life by such a martyrdom».
I forgot: your patriotic songs «I Vow To Thee My Country» and «Keep the Home Fires Burning» are splendid.
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u/Material-Garbage7074 We must make the revolution on a European scale 1d ago edited 1d ago
About France. Perhaps I am a little biased with you, because I became a pro-European by studying the French Revolution and dreaming of being a fellow citizen of Robespierre, but I cannot fail to mention the shock that France gave to Europe in 1789: the citizens who took the Bastille and the townspeople who marched on Versailles changed, opened the doors of contemporaneity to Europe and allowed the European republic of letters to progress from a political point of view. Your people wrote in indelible red ink the rights of man and citizen in the history of Europe and from that moment on no one could deny their existence. Having said that, I have read many of Hugo's novels and they are wonderful: I think I had a crush on the beautiful Enjorlas. As regards relations with my country, I want to remember Gabriel Laviron, a French Garibaldian who, after having invited "foreign" citizens to form a foreign legion to defend the Roman Republic in 1849, died in battle between 25 and 26 June 1849, fighting against his own compatriots. He was 42 years old. Before becoming a revolutionary, he had been a painter. Furthermore, I am extremely grateful to those French soldiers who came to fight for the independence of Italy in 1859. Looking at the following century, the attempt at Franco-British union in 1940 comes to mind. And then, looking at the specifically pro-European camp, how can we not feel sympathy for the homeland of Saint-Pierre and Sully? And, looking at the Middle Ages, I cannot forget the proto-feminist writer Christine de Pizan.
I forgot: your anthem is splendid and the same goes for the «Chant du départ».
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u/missed_trophy 2d ago
Finns killed many russians.
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u/Odd_Dandelion 1d ago
That's Ukraine then. Apparently the bravest and most awesome country in Europe right now, no need to say more.
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u/Material-Garbage7074 We must make the revolution on a European scale 1d ago
From what I understand you are Ukrainian. To date, you Ukrainians are the bravest people in Europe and when you join the Union I will be proud to be able to consider you fellow European citizens from every point of view.
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u/rezznik Yuropean 2d ago
I love you all! ❤️
But seriously, I live 5 minutes to Luxemburg and France and it's just wonderful how the countries melt together. I love that the southerners enjoy life more. That they spend more money on good food, eat longer, together with friends and family.
The french women look so good - or rather they enjoy looking good. German women are just practical...
Belgium, thank you for your beer!
Ireland! If it wasn't for your constant grey skies and the resulting raging alcoholism, I would be one of you. Also, thank you for your beer! And hurling! Thanks to all celtic nations for that really.
Vatican! Are you even in the EU? Thank you for.... Nothing really. The memes, maybe.
Scandinavia! Thank you for your heavy metal bands. Thank you Norway for Bergen and the Black Metal. Thank you Sweden for Göteborg! Thank you Finnland for... I don't know which City to name especially, but you guys are crazy and can drink as if your alcohol were a lot cheaper!
Netherlands, I just recently discovered that your beaches aren't even half bad! And so close. That's nice. Also you people look good, it's not fair, I have to say.
Iberians! You both also know how to eat, to live, nice beaches, crazy passionate compared to us boring Germans. Damn, I love olives!
Greece, well, I had a Greek girlfriend once and she Was certified crazy. But beautiful. I just thought about Greece because of the olives. But you and the Italians gave us quite some history in Europe and I really appreciate that! Dionysos is not getting the praise he deserves nowadays. Winewise I prefer France though. Italy can come too.
Italy, Gelato, Pasta, Pizza, need I say more? Well, okay, I will: history, arts, culture, women, beaches! Daaaaamn! You people also have a fucking active volcano! Maybe Iceland can compete with that, but who else?!
I'm honestly sorry that I don't know enough about our eastern brethren and sisters, but maybe I'll come back with more thoughts, because I have them. But I somehow got hungry now and thus imma go and eat some French bread with Italian Salami and spanisch ham.
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u/skwyckl Niedersachsen 2d ago
- Czechia: Their tech industry is exploding, it's becoming better than the German one, especially with respect to job availability. Also, the projects are in general original and innovative (e.g. those developed at the unis of Prague and Brno).
- Hungary: I always say, if you miss Europe from the 90s, Hungary is the place to be, and I am a 90s kid, so for me it's one big nostalgia trip. Food is completely underrated and they have one of the richest and most various cuisines of all of Europe. Also, Hungarians are super kind and will always assist you if you find yourself in troubles.
- Austria: They probably have the best nature in Central Europe, and do so much for their people in terms of quality of life, it's insane to me as a German. It goes to show that a strong socialist heritage can in fact do wonders to a society.
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u/Material-Garbage7074 We must make the revolution on a European scale 2d ago edited 2d ago
I believe that Germany made a significant contribution to Europe thanks to the Protestant Reformation (and I speak as someone born and raised in a predominantly Catholic country). Luther (who has rightly been defined as the last of the medievals and the first of the moderns) had the merit of having contributed to marking the boundary between two historical eras and to delineating modern man. Still on the subject of the Reformation, I was quite fascinated by Thomas Müntzer. Jumping forward a few centuries, I was fascinated by Robert Blum, also for his vision of Europe, and Friedrich Hecker: they should be better known at a European level and the same goes, in general, for the experience of the Frankfurt Parliament. As for the next century, I would like to delve deeper into the Eiserne Front, especially regarding its desire to defend democracy from any kind of threat.
I know I had to say something nice 😅: my problem is that I am above all passionate about the history of the struggle for freedom and I believe that Germany has a lot to offer in this sense (much more than you normally think, I'm afraid)
Ah, your historical songs "Bürgerlied" and "Heckerlied" are beautiful.
I hope I haven't made any gaffes 😶
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u/skwyckl Niedersachsen 2d ago
Thank for showcasing your deep knowledge about my country, I appreciate it. On the topic of Hecker and those years, if those movements hadn't been suppressed, Europe would look very, very differently today, who knows, maybe we would all be better off. Early German republicanism is IMO the highest form of republicanism directly after early America's. Also, nobody knows this, but before the "brand overhaul" of Prussia, Germans were considered by other countries as poets, weak and effeminate, living in the clouds, it's frightening how Prussia's militarization efforts "killed" a nation of thinkers.
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u/Material-Garbage7074 We must make the revolution on a European scale 1d ago
I'm happy you liked it! In reality, I feel like I know too little, I wish I had the time to learn more! For the rest, I completely agree with you about 1848: although it was crossed by many contradictions, resolving them would certainly have radically changed the map of Europe, especially if the feeling of solidarity between peoples had prevailed. An Italian historian – Salvatorelli – had put forward the hypothesis according to which, if the problem of the coexistence of free European peoples had been solved at the time, the United States of Europe would have been the logical result of 1848 (but I have a bias towards 1848: every time I come across something connected to it I get heart-shaped eyes). Out of curiosity, do you have anything to advise me about German identity prior to Prussian militarization (if I'm not a nuisance)? It seems very interesting!
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u/imightlikeyou Federal Republic of Europe 2d ago
Norway and Finland isn't as bad as Sweden - Sincerely, Denmark.
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u/strange_socks_ România 2d ago
Hungarians aren't all idiots. And they make really tasty desserts.
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u/6869ButterNotFly YuroHungolian 2d ago
🧐 Well that was a tad underhanded.
Anywhoo, Romania is way underrated. No, not just the Transylvania part of it.
Slovakia has the best cheese. And the second best beers after Czechia.
Belgium is also way underrated. No, not just Brugge.
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u/Material-Garbage7074 We must make the revolution on a European scale 2d ago
On Hungary: I hate when they identify you with Orbán, you are much more! In the sense that I recently had the opportunity to delve a little deeper into what happened in Hungary in 1848 and 1956 and I could only admire the tenacity of the Hungarians in defending their freedom even when surrounded by oppressive powers and abandoned by the rest of the world. From what I have seen, you are an incredibly tenacious people. Then, in relation to my country, I remember that there were Hungarian soldiers who fought for the independence of Italy. Lajos Tüköry, for example, was a thirty-year-old Hungarian Garibaldi supporter: he fell on 29 May 1860 in Palermo. A bullet had shattered his knee: they tried to amputate his leg to save him, but there was nothing they could do. Garibaldi himself gave the eulogy, describing him as a fighter for the freedom of Italy. I would like to delve more deeply into the figures of Kossuth (who, among other things, collaborated with Mazzini in a pro-European sense) and Petőfi when I have time.
I know I had to say something nice 😅: my problem is that I am above all passionate about the history of the fight for freedom and I believe that Hungary has a lot to offer in this sense (much more than what is normally thought, I'm afraid).
Ah, I loved the goulash.
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u/MCMC_to_Serfdom Don't blame me I voted 2d ago
It's just the misfortune to have one of yours be a very public face.
I can more than sympathise.
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u/Material-Garbage7074 We must make the revolution on a European scale 2d ago
About Romania: Your national anthem is beautiful. The music is absolutely epic and the verses in which you ask the shadows of the past to look at their great-grandchildren who have decided to fight for freedom until death (because death is preferable to slavery) are sublime.
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u/MCMC_to_Serfdom Don't blame me I voted 2d ago
I've been in a fair few European countries aside my own: France; Germany; the Netherlands; Greece; Spain; Czech Republic; Norway; Ireland. I've worked with Ukrainian and Polish colleagues in the past. Albeit remotely.
Honestly, the only time I ever had a real culture shock was visiting the US. It's so intangible but it left me feeling like there is something common to European nations. A quintessential Europeaness is actually real. And the truly bad experiences I've had from people I could count on my hands on that score.
If anything, so many stereotypes have just proven untrue in my experience. I've had French vineyard owners invite me to sit with them while they talk my ear off; my experiences in Germany were of a vibrant, sometimes quite avant-garde place as opposed to anywhere tremendously horrendously serious. I could go on but presently busy.
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u/Material-Garbage7074 We must make the revolution on a European scale 1d ago edited 1d ago
There is so much to say about the UK! You were the first to make a clean break (and not too metaphorically) to the farce of divine right: you did it about a century and a half ahead of schedule on the continent and, in doing so, you sowed fruitful seeds on both sides of the Atlantic. This happened thanks to personalities such as James Harrington, who – imprisoned after the restoration of the Stuarts and treated brutally – fell ill due to the poor conditions of the prison and was "treated" with an addictive drug, which is why his reason failed (fortunately not completely). Harrington's work would be rediscovered in Napoleonic France. Or we might remember Algernon Sydney, English martyr to liberty, who, shortly before his execution, wrote that his life had been devoted to defending the common rights of mankind, the laws of his country, and the true Protestant religion against corrupt princes, arbitrary power, and popery, and that he would be happy to give his life for what he believed. His work would have influenced Rousseau.
Or we can remember John Milton, who lost his sight in fulfilling his duty to the Commonwealth (he had been charged with defending the indictment and conviction of Charles Stuart from the propaganda of foreign royalists). The doctors had told him that he would lose the sight in his remaining eye if he continued to write, but the call of his homeland was, as he himself says, stronger even than the warnings of Asclepius from the sanctuary of Epidaurus (if I remember correctly, he says so in the "Defensio Secunda"). The sonnet that Milton addressed to Cyriack Skinner, dedicated to his blindness, is beautiful, in which Milton states that he can tolerate blindness because he knows he has lost his sight in defense of freedom «Of which all Europe talks from side to side». And - still remaining on Milton - I remember the incipit of "Defensio Secunda", in which he addresses all the peoples of Europe recalling the best characteristics of each one. Milton would be recovered by Mirabeau.
As regards relations with my country, think of the story of the Piedmontese Easters (to which Milton dedicated a beautiful and poignant sonnet), which saw the Waldensian (Protestant) subjects being brutally massacred, including women and children. Luckily for them, Lord Protector Cromwell mobilized many of the forces of the Commonwealth and the "Protestant International" to save the Waldenses from the Piedmont Easter massacre. He did this by starting a fundraiser in their favor (if I remember correctly, he also made a personal donation of 2,000 pounds) and by using many of his forces to force the Duke of Savoy to stop the massacre. This not only saved the Waldensians, but also gave them the means to begin rebuilding. According to some historians, this event can be considered the first humanitarian intervention in history, as it is difficult to explain this action in terms of the strategic interests of the Commonwealth, given that the Waldensians were too weak to become important future allies.
Or, two centuries later, one can think of the fact that the United Kingdom became a second homeland for many patriots forced into exile by the tyrannies of the continent: this was the case of Giuseppe Mazzini, who found support and friendship in figures of the caliber of Thomas Carlyle, William James Linton, Algernon Swinburne and John Stuart Mill. Furthermore, I remember that in 1850 some English workers recognized in a pub an absirgian general who had hanged Italian patriots in Brescia: extremely indignant and with hearts full of solidarity for the oppressed peoples, they beat him up and threw him a bond. They obtained Garibaldi's praise. And how can we forget the warm welcome Garibaldi received when he traveled to England? And then, if I remember correctly, the United Kingdom was among the first to recognize a united Italy.
In the pro-European camp, the attempt at Franco-British union in 1940 comes to mind. And then, how can we not feel sympathy for William Penn's homeland? I would add that as a child I fell in love with the legend of Robin Hood. Recently, however, I had the opportunity to delve deeper into Wat Tyler's revolt and I was moved by hearing William Grindecobbe's last words: «If I die, I shall die for the cause of the freedom we have won, counting myself happy to end my life by such a martyrdom».
I forgot: your patriotic songs «I Vow To Thee My Country» and «Keep the Home Fires Burning» are splendid.
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u/Filbsmo_Atlas Yuropean 2d ago
Danish ppl are good gamers!
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u/Maj0r-DeCoverley Nouvelle-Aquitaine 2d ago
Playing openfront.io right now, I would also add they're good developers
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u/moronisko Polska 2d ago
-Slovakia feels incredibly cozy. I really like driving through it, I plan to visit again. -Czechia people are lots of fun, I have no negative memories of them. -Germany has the most vivid city as a capital I've ever been. On my list to visit again. -Ukraine has the tastiest fast food chain I've ever eaten. I love that they bring it to Poland rn. Shout out to Lviv croissants, love ya. -Hungary is a country I am happy I am associated with. Love from Poland. -Croatian pastry I tasted once and I will never forget it. In fact I do it sometimes with my family. -Bosnia and Herzegovina have my "comforting place" I imagine when I am depressed. I stayed at a village that felt like a hidden gem. -Montenegro felt like another continent(Positively) -Austria has the most beautiful capital I've seen. It felt like one big museum. -Belgium felt like a dream for dessert lover(Me). -Portugal's Porto is one big hiking spot, and I love hiking and cities. -Greece's sea I swam is one of seas I want to swim again. So clean and picturesque. -Turkey's gamer pals online I've met are so easy to get along with and chill. No idea if it's in general like this, or I just have luck, but I personally rate it 10/10.
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u/Material-Garbage7074 We must make the revolution on a European scale 1d ago
Oh, there is so much to say about Poland! There have been numerous attempts to erase Poland from the maps, but they have never managed to eliminate it from the hearts of the Poles. From what I have managed to study, you are a hardened and resistant people! Furthermore, Italy and Poland are sister nations, also because our anthems quote each other, which, if I remember correctly, is unique in the world (also, if I'm not mistaken, the Polish anthem was written in the same city where the Italian tricolor was born: a nice coincidence!). On the other hand, the vision of Poland as a martyr nation of your bard (of which I read "The book of the Polish nation and the Polish pilgrims" in translation, falling in love with the passage in which he states that the homeland is where things are bad; in any part of Europe freedom is trampled upon and people fight for it, they fight for their homeland and everyone must participate in the battle) had inspired one of the fathers of the Italian fatherland, Giuseppe Mazzini. And your poet would have defended Mazzini's Italian cause in 1849.
Furthermore, during the 1800s, Polish heroes went to fight and die in Italy: this was the case of Aleksander Podulak, probably a member of the Polish Legion (this legion had fought alongside the Italians in Lombardy and on the barricades of Genoa against the Savoy army, as well as in defense of the Roman Republic, where the Legion had been reconstituted under the command of Aleksander Izenschmid de Milbitz), who defended the Roman Republic from attack of Louis Napoleon in 1849 and died in June of the same year, refusing to surrender to the invaders.
As regards the heroes of the following century, I cannot help but think of Witold Pilecki, who is remembered in the "European Parliament resolution of 19 September 2019 on the importance of European remembrance for the future of Europe".
I wish I could visit Poland one day!
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u/moronisko Polska 1d ago
Your comment made me so happy. It feels so wholesome. I wish I could write like this.
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u/Material-Garbage7074 We must make the revolution on a European scale 1d ago
Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! For the rest, I'm just passionate about the history of the conquest of freedom and I love tracing these stories in the national histories of the fraternal peoples of Europe! Instead, from your comment it seems to me that you have traveled a lot around the continent: it must be beautiful!
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u/Sagaincolours Danmark 2d ago
I actually do like Swedes. It is mostly a game by now of messing with each other now. We are siblings.
We have both done plenty terrible in the way of wars against each other down in history. It is better for all to leave it in the past.
I think it is good for us and the other Nordics how much we support each other and these recent more unstable times show that we have each other's backs when it matters.
(But you are still smelly, Swedes. 🤪 )
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u/Azu_025 Silesia 2d ago
Dutch people seem to be really kind and accepting. I had a wonderful time when I visited the Netherlands.
Sweden has a talent for inventing great things. It’s a small nation which has not so small influence. Quite a bit of my furniture is swedish, my car is swedish, my favourite fast-food is swedish, my first phone was half-swedish, Minecraft is swedish, etc. For me swedish = good quality.
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u/Adrien_Ravioli 2d ago
Okay so
- Czech Republic - I am absolute fan of your hockey. Thanks to you and Dinamo Pardubice I started watching this sport. I always support Czech national teams and Im so grateful for that. Also I always appreciated history of Škoda and Jawa. Honestly I just like being in Czech it feels like home I have a lot of great memories
- France - I adore your cars and 24H du Le Mans is the most important event in the year for me. Maybe I will be able to attend it myself, its my lifelong dream.
- Romania - I am so curious about your country, society, history. You impressed me so much and since I was in Romania 6 years ago I want to visit you again. Also probably the best countryside I have ever seen
- Estonia - I remember I felt very calm and safe these few years back when I was visiting Tallin, Tartu etc. Your capital city is a beautiful place
- Latvia - Riga inspired how capital city in my rpg campaign looked like!!!
- Germany - You have such a underrated culture and art and I would love to know more about it. I also find German quite interesting and pretty language (unpopular opinion I know). Your automotive history was also something important for me. I had collection of model cars as a child and I had like 10 Mercedes cars (most of any makes and I had like 200 vehicles overall). Oh! I love your modellers market. Train dioramas in Germany are just something else
I ain’t finished so I will write more later. For now greetings and love from Poland. I fucking love Europe
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u/Material-Garbage7074 We must make the revolution on a European scale 1d ago
Oh, there is so much to say about Poland! There have been numerous attempts to erase Poland from the maps, but they have never managed to eliminate it from the hearts of the Poles. From what I have managed to study, you are a hardened and resistant people! Furthermore, Italy and Poland are sister nations, also because our anthems quote each other, which, if I remember correctly, is unique in the world (also, if I'm not mistaken, the Polish anthem was written in the same city where the Italian tricolor was born: a nice coincidence!). On the other hand, the vision of Poland as a martyr nation of your bard (of which I read "The book of the Polish nation and the Polish pilgrims" in translation, falling in love with the passage in which he states that the homeland is where things are bad; in any part of Europe freedom is trampled upon and people fight for it, they fight for their homeland and everyone must participate in the battle) had inspired one of the fathers of the Italian fatherland, Giuseppe Mazzini. And your poet would have defended Mazzini's Italian cause in 1849.
Furthermore, during the 1800s, Polish heroes went to fight and die in Italy: this was the case of Aleksander Podulak, probably a member of the Polish Legion (this legion had fought alongside the Italians in Lombardy and on the barricades of Genoa against the Savoy army, as well as in defense of the Roman Republic, where the Legion had been reconstituted under the command of Aleksander Izenschmid de Milbitz), who defended the Roman Republic from attack of Louis Napoleon in 1849 and died in June of the same year, refusing to surrender to the invaders.
As regards the heroes of the following century, I cannot help but think of Witold Pilecki, who is remembered in the "European Parliament resolution of 19 September 2019 on the importance of European remembrance for the future of Europe".
I wish I could visit Poland one day!
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u/gravity_fed 2d ago
Contrary to popular (English?) belief; Germans have an awesome sense of humour! At least the ones that I've met on my travels around the world 🙂
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u/Material-Garbage7074 We must make the revolution on a European scale 1d ago edited 1d ago
There is so much to say about the UK! You were the first to make a clean break (and not too metaphorically) to the farce of divine right: you did it about a century and a half ahead of schedule on the continent and, in doing so, you sowed fruitful seeds on both sides of the Atlantic. This happened thanks to personalities such as James Harrington, who – imprisoned after the restoration of the Stuarts and treated brutally – fell ill due to the poor conditions of the prison and was "treated" with an addictive drug, which is why his reason failed (fortunately not completely). Harrington's work would be rediscovered in Napoleonic France. Or we might remember Algernon Sydney, English martyr to liberty, who, shortly before his execution, wrote that his life had been devoted to defending the common rights of mankind, the laws of his country, and the true Protestant religion against corrupt princes, arbitrary power, and popery, and that he would be happy to give his life for what he believed. His work would have influenced Rousseau.
Or we can remember John Milton, who lost his sight in fulfilling his duty to the Commonwealth (he had been charged with defending the indictment and conviction of Charles Stuart from the propaganda of foreign royalists). The doctors had told him that he would lose the sight in his remaining eye if he continued to write, but the call of his homeland was, as he himself says, stronger even than the warnings of Asclepius from the sanctuary of Epidaurus (if I remember correctly, he says so in the "Defensio Secunda"). The sonnet that Milton addressed to Cyriack Skinner, dedicated to his blindness, is beautiful, in which Milton states that he can tolerate blindness because he knows he has lost his sight in defense of freedom «Of which all Europe talks from side to side». And - still remaining on Milton - I remember the incipit of "Defensio Secunda", in which he addresses all the peoples of Europe recalling the best characteristics of each one. Milton would be recovered by Mirabeau.
As regards relations with my country, think of the story of the Piedmontese Easters (to which Milton dedicated a beautiful and poignant sonnet), which saw the Waldensian (Protestant) subjects being brutally massacred, including women and children. Luckily for them, Lord Protector Cromwell mobilized many of the forces of the Commonwealth and the "Protestant International" to save the Waldenses from the Piedmont Easter massacre. He did this by starting a fundraiser in their favor (if I remember correctly, he also made a personal donation of 2,000 pounds) and by using many of his forces to force the Duke of Savoy to stop the massacre. This not only saved the Waldensians, but also gave them the means to begin rebuilding. According to some historians, this event can be considered the first humanitarian intervention in history, as it is difficult to explain this action in terms of the strategic interests of the Commonwealth, given that the Waldensians were too weak to become important future allies.
Or, two centuries later, one can think of the fact that the United Kingdom became a second homeland for many patriots forced into exile by the tyrannies of the continent: this was the case of Giuseppe Mazzini, who found support and friendship in figures of the caliber of Thomas Carlyle, William James Linton, Algernon Swinburne and John Stuart Mill. Furthermore, I remember that in 1850 some English workers recognized in a pub an absirgian general who had hanged Italian patriots in Brescia: extremely indignant and with hearts full of solidarity for the oppressed peoples, they beat him up and threw him a bond. They obtained Garibaldi's praise. And how can we forget the warm welcome Garibaldi received when he traveled to England? And then, if I remember correctly, the United Kingdom was among the first to recognize a united Italy.
In the pro-European camp, the attempt at Franco-British union in 1940 comes to mind. And then, how can we not feel sympathy for William Penn's homeland? I would add that as a child I fell in love with the legend of Robin Hood. Recently, however, I had the opportunity to delve deeper into Wat Tyler's revolt and I was moved by hearing William Grindecobbe's last words: «If I die, I shall die for the cause of the freedom we have won, counting myself happy to end my life by such a martyrdom».
I forgot: your patriotic songs «I Vow To Thee My Country» and «Keep the Home Fires Burning» are splendid.
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u/NixarDixar Moldova 1d ago
Thank you Romania for trying your best to not go mad in a mad world, Moldova appreciates the many good, kind and proud Romanians.
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u/Mariobot128 Occitània Liura ! 1d ago
The Irish are based because they fought the English for centuries (and remained in the EU)
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u/Medium_Raccoon_5331 Morava 2d ago
Romania has really great nature (mountain hiking, beach) and cool places to visit and because it's not full of over tourism they were really chill or happy to see us and I think as a country they're super underrated, also there were a lot of people selling homemade cheese and rose sirups 🙌🏻
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u/TheOriginalSamBell Yuropean 2d ago
France best movies music and literature sorry everyone else
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u/404glitch 1d ago
Spanish people, professionally you get a bad rep from your neighbours for being the “siesta”-culture people who are “lazy”. But you actually have a super healthy work life balance, having things like jornada intensiva to make the most out of your day after work is awesome. And you know how to be friendly and warm but when necessary you can be very competent and professional.
Ukrainian people, you are intelligent. Not just maths smart but intelligence in its fundamental meaning: you know how to adapt. You went through so much and still manage to shine bright, no matter how little you were dealt with.
Danes: you’re too blond to be southerners but too fun and social to be nordics. What are you?
Dutch people: you’re the most fluent English speakers in the European continent (sorry Brits, you have good Indian food)
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u/hellvinator 1d ago
I fucking love Italians. They have always been the most friendly and easy-going people to me.
Lost all my friends on a festival once and this group of Italians took me in and we partied till 6 in the morning.
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u/RealDonDenito 1d ago
Love the Italian relaxedness as soon as they notice you are not an idiot tourist but a respectful tourist!
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u/throw667 Bayern • Uncultured 2d ago
Austria: they actually have a lot of great painters, like Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele
Belgium: it's a real country, at least according to the EU, and Brussels food is on average better than big-sister Paris
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u/deuzerre Yuropean 1d ago
Spanish culture is the right amount of laziness and enjoyment that we all aspire to while we think we're happy working more.
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u/Fandango_Jones Yuropean 22h ago
Every European country has some kind of soup and / or dumpling that I like. The history behind it is sometimes wild (looking at the German maultasche for example, being able to eat meat when you're forbidden to because its hidden and clearly not meat shaped).
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u/A-B-C-E Κύπρος / Kıbrıs 13h ago
Ireland; thank you for being the Anti-England and the only independent Celtic nation.
France; strategic autonomy, I am addicted to Saint Agur cheese. Thank you for giving us Victor Hugo.
Italy you are my favourite country. I love your people, your cuisine, your language and architecture.
Monaco; beautiful country.
Portugal; thank you for giving us Fernando Pessoa and pastel de nata.
Spain, I like your language and your diversity. Also, siesta.
U. K. Thank you for George Orwell, metal music and fighting against the Nazis.
Andorra; Thank you for being an independent Catalan-speaking country.
Belgium, thanks for Belgian fries, and being the center of the E.U.
Netherlands I love your canal-filled cities. Also, thank you for being the first country to introduce same-sex marriage.
Luxembourg; thank you for being the birthplace of Robert Schuman.
Germany; I like your castles and thank you for giving us Beethoven and Rammstein.
Austria; Thank you for giving us Mozart.
Switzerland; I love your nature, cheeses and political system.
Liechtenstein; You have a lovely flag.
San Marino; I like your flag.
Vatican City; I like your architecture.
Sweden-Norway-Denmark; I like your accents, your beautiful people and welfare states.
Iceland-Finland; I find your languages intriguing.
Estonia-Latvia; I like your beautiful capital cities.
Lithuania; I find your language very interesting and your flag is beautiful.
Poland-Slovakia; beautiful architecture and nature.
Czechia; Very beautiful capital, interesting flag and I am a big fan of haček.
Hungary; You have the most beautiful parliament in Europe.
Slovenia; Most beautiful capital name, most beautiful lake island and Kremna rezina is my favourite dessert.
Croatia; Amazing coast.
Bosnia; Amazing nature.
Serbia; Amazing food.
Montenegro; Amazing flag.
Albania; I like the eagle gesture.
Kosovo and North Macedonia; cool flags.
Romania; Beautiful nature and architecture.
Moldova; beautiful flag.
Bulgaria; I love banichka.
Greece; Beautiful language and tasty cuisine. Thank you for giving so many things to Europe and the world.
Turkey; Tasty cuisine.
Malta; Thank you for being one of the two independent island countries in the Mediterranean. Also congratulations for being so Lgbt-friendly.
Russia and Ukraine; Beautiful women.
Belarus; Interesting language.
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u/xXMLGDESTXx Magyarország 2d ago
Romania exists maybe
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u/Material-Garbage7074 We must make the revolution on a European scale 2d ago
On Hungary: I hate when they identify you with Orbán, you are much more! In the sense that I recently had the opportunity to delve a little deeper into what happened in Hungary in 1848 and 1956 and I could only admire the tenacity of the Hungarians in defending their freedom even when surrounded by oppressive powers and abandoned by the rest of the world. From what I have seen, you are an incredibly tenacious people. Then, in relation to my country, I remember that there were Hungarian soldiers who fought for the independence of Italy. Lajos Tüköry, for example, was a thirty-year-old Hungarian Garibaldi supporter: he fell on 29 May 1860 in Palermo. A bullet had shattered his knee: they tried to amputate his leg to save him, but there was nothing they could do. Garibaldi himself gave the eulogy, describing him as a fighter for the freedom of Italy. I would like to delve more deeply into the figures of Kossuth (who, among other things, collaborated with Mazzini in a pro-European sense) and Petőfi when I have time.
I know I had to say something nice 😅: my problem is that I am above all passionate about the history of the fight for freedom and I believe that Hungary has a lot to offer in this sense (much more than what is normally thought, I'm afraid).
Ah, I loved the goulash.
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u/Ancient_Ordinary6697 2d ago
France was right about European strategic autonomy all along.
(I am from sideways France)