King Maximilian Joseph I
Just another in a long line of eccentric Bavarian rulers. He grew up loving France and even joining their army for a time. He sided with Napoleon until he came marching through Germany. Max changed sides. When the war ended he had to cede part of his lands to Austria while annexing territory to his west into Bavaria. He was considered eccentric because he loved hanging out with the common folk. He even helped to rescue a teenage apprentice trapped in a collapsed building.
As Europe's largest economy and most populous nation, Germany remains a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20t... ... read more 
