Answer: Geography situated it in a central position among rival states while providing sparse natural defenses. For centuries, petty German kingdoms, duchies, and other minor states were in effect the lubricant for quarrels among the likes of France, Austria, and Russia.
Explanation: this is a cite- https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:LF04mDuKeJUJ:https://thediplomat.com/2013/10/germanys-geographical-curse/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
