In many ways, German and Italian history were parallel. Both came from ancient cultures dating back to classical antiquity, and both cultures had lived as the respective hegemon of their own regions for a period of time.
Italy, for example, had ruled as the supreme hegemon of the Mediterranean during the latter centuries of Classical Antiquity, while in Germany's case, the erroneously named "Holy Roman Empire" had served as, more or less, the supreme sovereign of Europe during the High Middle Ages.
But in this world, time alone remained undefeated. Whether you were a dynasty of kings, an unrivaled Empire, or a god himself, sooner or later, all things came to an end. It was simply a matter of time.
