Pet Peeve - Why are the Germans/Prussians always the enemy in VSF?

[Vonkluge]

It must be my fault! I know Im to blame.

Why? Because I work in Hollywood making those movies that for ever have made the "Germans" the "goto" default bad guys, with of course the Japanese and Russians running neck and neck for 2nd. Really there are many other reasons like, availability of cool figures, lots of gamers have them painted already, at some time they fought almost everywhere on the globe. One can easily imagine a Prussian (German) incursion into Mexico or even the Arctic but can you see the Chinese of the same period doing this? (I have a  Boxer Rebellion period Chinese VSF force!) They have cool uniforms, their short gruff sounding language sounds threatening as opposed to the same threat issued by a Frenchman being confused with a marriage proposal.... Hell they got spike on their dammed helmets! Even their Dogs have a badass reputation...Rin Tin Tin wasn't a Poodle, a Spaniel, or a Pekinese, he was a German Shepard!



I laugh on the set all the time when they give the "period" bad guys their guns they are invariably a German Walther P-38, a Luger Po8, or the best of them all a Mauser "Broomhandel" 1896 30 cal! (I own one complete with holster stock and shoot it!) why? because they look cool, mean, and sinister. When I'm at the shooting range I can shoot my US 1911 45, British Webley, Jap Nambu, no one really notices, but when the 1896 Mauser comes out everyone, even the range masters take a look. Being in California we have "Motorcycle gangs" famous (or should I say imfamous) like the Mongols, Satans Slaves, and the Hells Angeles, I see them quite often and they many times sport WWII German helmets (I've not seen one in a french, British, or even a US helmet in the 40+ years I've been watching) and so it goes with those dammed snappy dressers, the Germans!


The fact that in reality the Prussians/Germans did not become the "bad" guys until around the turn of the century should have little bearing on the fact that in most peoples MADE up VSF world they are the bad-guys of choice because they fit the bill so well, we call it "type casting"

[Conquistador]

I've just watched Captain America.
On reflection I think we may have been the successful ones.

:~}

I wonder if Captain Britain is better known than Captain America in the world outside the UK/US?

 

Just asking!

 

Gracias,

Glenn

[Dewbakuk]

I wonder if Captain Britain is better known than Captain America in the world outside the UK/US?

 

Just asking!

 

Gracias,

Glenn

Who? Oh, you mean that lame ass idea by an American company trying to promote sales over here. Yeah, that didn't work for us 

[area23]

Remember the very term "victiorian SF' is Anglo-centric imperialism. Otherwise it would be called "Wilhelmischer Wissenschafts Dichtung"  

Or Kaiserliche Zukunft Erfindungen.  

In any case, most of the games, novels and miniatures are produced in Britain, so its not strange it's mostly british humour with Pulp stereotypes.

[Craig]

Of course its 'Anglo-centric Imperialism'. We were the only ones with a real empire 

We let you European johnnies have a few mosquito-ridden hell holes, mostly because there was nothing of value there

[Scorpio]

Why? Because I work in Hollywood making those movies that for ever have made the "Germans" the "goto" default bad guys, with of course the Japanese and Russians running neck and neck for 2nd.

And they always have British accents when they speak English, to boot.

[kidterminal]

Funny, I always make the Brits the "Bad Guys" in my VSF games...

 
Could that be because Britain was picking on Pacific Islanders, Dutch farmer and African kingdoms; many of whom didn't even have guns, while Germany was picking on France the largest European nation?

Though the "Cherokee Illuminati" are lurking in the background as advisors to the non-reptilian natives of Venus (the reptiles think all Earth people taste good.) 

Gracias,

Glenn

The "Cherokee Illuminati" aren't they really the skin walkers?

[former user]

to spin that thread further with the british imperialist concept of VSF:

isn't it typical for british to despise their own royal family because they are, well, german?
any other on the throne than madman Willi 2 and both countries might have been allies in the great war.....
something must have happened during these childhood visits to Scotland with the poor boy....

[kidterminal]

to spin that thread further with the british imperialist concept of VSF:

isn't it typical for british to despise their own royal family because they are, well, german?
any other on the throne than madman Willi 2 and both countries might have been allies in the great war.....
something must have happened during these childhood visits to Scotland with the poor boy....

He was pantsed?

[former user]

is this comparable?

[kidterminal]

The boy in the video gets pantsed.

[former user]

I know what pantsed means
I asked whether wearing a kilt can count as pantsed? 
at least for the future german emperor, who is with his father in the picture 

[kidterminal]

If they didn't let him wear anything underneath it would.

[Bowman]

Even their Dogs have a badass reputation...Rin Tin Tin wasn't a Poodle, a Spaniel, or a Pekinese, he was a German Shepard!

Minor quibble, but the poodle is also a German breed. Pudelhund was the original term. Point taken, however. German Shepard, Rottweiler, Doberman..........all pretty bass-ass.

PS. Love the Wespe!

[Dr Mathias]

In my world it's the Belgians that are the genuine bad guys (at least the ones in Africa). Reading Heart of Darkness and King Leopold's Ghost are likely to blame for that.