[vbmoneyspender]

The Germans didn't need any lessons with regard to the importance of an effective army. Frederick the Great had already taught them that. As far as the importance of the nation-state was concerned, everyone in Europe knew by the 1800s how important the nation state was. What Napoleon taught the Germans was that when you are dealing with a genius, you needed to have a trained reserve of smart commanders who, though maybe not geniuses, are nevertheless sufficiently skilled in operations that they can handle a fight with a genius. Scharnhorst, who played an important part in the creation of the German General Staff, saw this first hand as the chief of staff for Blucher.

[nkycincinnatikid]

I believe we agree. The germans understood that Prussia could not be assumed to produce a Frederick when the times required. A nation state for Germany was not only far from being universally desired, As we know it was never acomplised at all. But the little Germany that was created did so on the Prussian model. Napoleon by coveting the Rhineland for france sealed the end of french domination of the continent when he pronounced the death of the Holy Roman Empire.