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Prisoners of Geography: Europe

Western Europe
Many languages and countries due to the geography of the region.  Pyrenees, for example, separate France from Spain.  Good rivers, though, with France being most fortunate.  Seine goes to Atlantic; Rhone to Med. Sea. Rivers do not connect as Missouri with Mississippi, so they form natural boundaries. Southern Europe is less fortunate.  Worse farmland, more drought, rockier, higher temps. Greece, Sicily, Spain.  The notion of lazy southerners comes entirely from geography which makes farming, for example, both difficult and less lucrative.

Germany--poised between Russia and France has two options.  France has one.  French need peace and unity with Germany as they have little geographic protection.

EU:  Fragile always.  Greeks resent German wealth. Germans resent Greek early retirement lifestyle. WWII looms in background. Kissinger:  When I want to talk to Europe, whom do I call?

UK:  Island nation protected in many ways.  Needs Scotland to control North Sea.  Losing Scotland from UK would be great blow to naval power, such as it is.

Serbia as interesting case. Linguistic and religious ties to Russia, more than Europe. Courted by Russia.  Fracture line?

And, finally, is it possible that Europe could come apart?  Unlikely, but as years pass since WWI and WWII, probably more possible.

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