Is there any possibility of having multiple German identities? Historically many German populations were quite distinguished from each other and lacked a single state to bind them together. Could this lead to different German dialects considering themselves different nations?
 
Yes it can. I would say that the German national identity realy developed in the 19th, maybe late 18th century. Before that, it coul d easily be possible for people we now consider German, to develop its own identity, just like the Dutch, Flemish, Swiss, Luxemburgians, Austrians and the Lichtensteiners (and Walloons and Chzech) did.

A different ending of the 30 year war could do it. Or an earlier end of the HRE. Or a Prussia that focused more on Poland, or a Prussia that gotleft out of the unification, like Austria. Or Bavaria that got left out of the unification. Or Hanover that remains in a personal union with Britain. etc. There are many ways.
 
There is a question about an absence of the Napoleonic Wars--that would do it. Rhenish German, North German, Austro-Bavarian, Swabian, Prussian. They all might look to Austria as a protector, leader in times of trouble, but would not look to unify under the Habsburgs.
 
https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/wi-different-borders-in-europe-post-wwii.423679/
might this scenario accomplish the objective? I.e. nationalism in east germany divurging from west germany, and them taking pride in their two different nations as opposed to supporting a united Germany.
It's an interesting premise that unfortunately didn't develop into a good-sized thread, but the problem is that I don't see how this won't end up with a larger united Germany. East Germany is somewhat larger with some coal (I think?) to stabilize its economy, but this won't prevent Germans in both states from having the national affiliation they did OTL. Really a POD that would fit this thread has to be before 1820.
 
It's an interesting premise that unfortunately didn't develop into a good-sized thread, but the problem is that I don't see how this won't end up with a larger united Germany. East Germany is somewhat larger with some coal (I think?) to stabilize its economy, but this won't prevent Germans in both states from having the national affiliation they did OTL. Really a POD that would fit this thread has to be before 1820.
something that breaks Prussia, I imagine, would help. At least them not getting Rhineland after the Congress of Vienna.
The Confederation of the Rhine would be best avoided, actually. What if Napoleon had two Confederations covering the area that in OTL was united into that nation? Between a 'South' that centers on Bayern and Baden-Wurrtumberg and a 'North' that centers on Hesse and areas North of it?
 
something that breaks Prussia, I imagine, would help. At least them not getting Rhineland after the Congress of Vienna.
The Confederation of the Rhine would be best avoided, actually. What if Napoleon had two Confederations covering the area that in OTL was united into that nation? Between a 'South' that centers on Bayern and Baden-Wurrtumberg and a 'North' that centers on Hesse and areas North of it?
That could work, although I think it would make more sense for him to create a much smaller Rhine Confederation that dosn't include self-sufficient states like Bavaria and Prussia.
 
Is there any possibility of having multiple German identities? Historically many German populations were quite distinguished from each other and lacked a single state to bind them together. Could this lead to different German dialects considering themselves different nations?

That's OTL, isn't it? The Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland are all parts of Germany which ended up becoming different nations due to historical contingencies.
 
That's OTL, isn't it? The Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland are all parts of Germany which ended up becoming different nations due to historical contingencies.
Switzerland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands do have seperate national identities, but I'm talking about a situation where there isn't one nation that can be called Germany anymore.
 
What if with a early enough POD, we could make Germany bigger than it was in OTL? If there were more German majority areas, then German would carry about as much meaning as "Romance" in OTL.

The Pannonian Basin might be a good place. If Hungarian dies out because of, say, the Mongols, the Germans could move in.

Poland might be screwed in that case though.
 
I guess you could get a Swabian identity, considering how different Swabian is to the rest of German.

Two things that really fostered Germany's unification was the Zollverein and railways. Have separate customs unions across Germany and have Baden and Wurttemburg get different railway gauges incompatible with the rest of Germany. From there, Bavaria likely sees itself as sharing a cultural affinity with Austria, and with that, while North Germany will still view itself as one country, Baden and Wurttemburg will have a different Swabian identity and Bavaria will have an affinity towards Austria.

All of this is applicable to the Rhineland, so there's another German state there.
 
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