You touched on the Italy brothers not really getting along. What about during their childhood? I know they were isolated from each other, but is their any strip where they actually act like brothers?

You’re right. They didn’t have much interaction, but there
is this one strip where Austria and Spain host a playdate.

Things weren’t really that tense between them until after Unification.
Even so, I think the fact that their curls lock together might hint at how deep
down, they’ll still always love each other.