Disclaimer: This
post will strictly explore Germany’s character in canon. It does not explore
nor make the Holy Rome = Germany assumption.

Misconception: He’s
gruff, mean, stand-offish, and curt to the point of being rude.

Reality: He’s
sweet and considerate but is very poor at expressing himself. He lacks
socialization skills and can also come off as too formal.

Germany’s main complex is that he comes off as angry to
others when he actually isn’t.

Source: Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 1. 

Ex: He asks out
Italy for drinks after a training session, and Italy interprets him as being
angry.

Source: Hetarchive, Comic Diary 4. 

Ex: He has trouble
smiling. The consequence of this is that others are afraid of his domineering appearance. 

Source: Hetarchive, Christmas 2010 Event.

However, he’s able to smile when he’s drunk.

Source: Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 1. 

Ex: He’s so poor
at socializing that he needs to rely on manuals for things such as friendship,
romance, and even how to smile.

Source: Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 7 + Hetarchive, Buon San Valentino Series (mentioned).

Ex: He absolutely
loves dogs.

Source: Volume 5. 

Ex: He loves
baking, especially with his friends. He has an entire character song dedicated
to this, titled “Ich liebe…”

Source: Hetascanlatoins, World Stars Chapter 33. 

Misconception: He
was a Nazi and rooted himself in the fascist cause.

Reality: It’s
complicated…

I know this sounds bad, but something I always want to
emphasize is the need for contextualization.

I’ll be upfront by saying that technically Germany was a
Nazi but superficially and through force. Addressing the second part, he did
not support the fascist regime at all. 

Let’s unpack this.

For one thing, nations in the series are obligated to adhere
to their bosses’ orders.

Source: Hetascanlations, World Stars Chapter 97. 

Ex: Germany is
sent all over as Hitler’s lapdog and seems to be used to being screamed at. 

Source: Hetarchive, Hetare 4: Pact of Steel.

The series doesn’t explicitly name Hitler,
instead describing his as strange in a euphemistic manner; he’s also said to be suffering from boss troubles—remember that the
series’ satirical and comedic genre constrains what historical material it can
cover.

Source: Hetarchive, Hetare 5: Lietuvis. 

Ex: Although
Finland is joking in the strip, it’s hinted that Hitler would have been capable
of imprisoning Germany should he have disobeyed his orders.

Source: Ibid.

Things get complicated when Germany is asked to annex
Austria. He vehemently opposes but is threatened into doing so. We then see him
holding up propaganda at a booth with Nazi insignia that promotes the annexation.

Source: The Austrian Anschluus + Comic Diary 7 (mentioned).

This anti-fascist narrative is further elaborated on when
Germany describes his daily life as torture and equates torture in a POW camp
to a mere mosquito bite. In other words, Germany’s daily life in Nazi Germany
isn’t glorified; it’s instead equated to a living hell for him. He’s respectively said to be tolerating his days through pain. 

Source: Volume 1, Hetarchive, Hetare 5: Lietuvis.

Not only that, but Hetalia is also anti-war.

Ex: Germany is
shown reflecting on how miserable he is at war. He then later agrees to a
temporary truce with England on Christmas Eve, where the two play soccer.

Source: Volume 3.

For longer posts with more extensive evidence on how Hetalia
as a series is anti-war and anti-imperialist, please go here [x] [x] [x]. 

Misconception: He’s
so straight-laced that he can’t take a break.

Reality: He’s so
straight-laced that he schedules his breaks.

Ex: Germany
actually loves vacations and is more than capable of taking breaks.

Source: Hetascanlations Chapter 7 & 216 + Vollume 6.

Bonus facts:

The greatest hint of the Holy Rome = Germany connection lies
in the Buon San Valentino strips. Germany blacks out and appears to recollect a
fuzzy image of Chibitalia, suggesting that it might, in fact, be a repressed memory
of his.

Source: Hetarchive, Buon San Valentino pt 3.

He’s a germaphobe and neat freak.

Source: Volume 1. 

He first meets Italy during WW1.

Source: Volume 1. 

He was originally based off a German acquaintance of
Himaruya.