Misconception: He
hates Spain

Reality: He hated
Spain but puts up with him now [x].

While Netherlands may be annoyed by Spain, they’re not
hostile.

Ex: Spain and
Netherlands are spotted together during the 2010 Christmas Event. Spain wants
to take a photo and Netherlands’ is reluctant. Netherlands’ threat to flip
Spain over is actually pretty funny [x].

Further, when they’re attacked by parallel France, Spain
comes to Netherlands’ aid.

Ex: They
coordinate their costumes during the 2011 Christmas Event, along with Belgium
and Romano [x].

Ex: Having been there
for part of Romano’s childhood, it’s Netherlands who points out how unaware the
latter was of the sacrifices that Spain made for him. In this case, Spain spent most of his money on Romano.

Ex: He helps lift
Spain onto Romano’s back as Belgium cheers them on [x].

Ex: Spain teases
Netherlands by putting on glasses to make himself more approachable and
suitable for business [x].

Misconception: He’s
rude

Reality: He’s kind and an older brother type.

On
the other hand, he can also be crabby and has a ‘dirty side.’

Ex: He attempts to help Belgium and Luxembourg, who were at the
mercy of other countries, through diplomacy. The running gag is that all of his advice is about money, albeit well-intentioned [x].

Ex: He teaches Luxembourg the business skills that propelled him
into the thriving economic state that he’s in now.

Ex: He’s in his element when he’s surrounded by tulips [x].

Ex: He socializes and involves himself in a discussion on gardening [x].

Netherlands’
personality is complex in that he has faults. He’s not rude all the time. Like
everyone, there are moments where he loses his composure.

Ex: He tends to lose his composure when it comes to economic
matters relating to Greece in the EU. He’s still noted to usually be a
pleasant coworker [x].

Ex: His sister declaring independence from him made him cranky
when he visits the then isolationist Japan for trade.

Nonetheless,
like other Dutch merchants, he respectively adopted the customs of his business
partners and engaged in them during transactions.

Side note: I’ve seen enough people take a dub line
as canon, so I want to clear it up.

In the “Before an International Meeting” strip… [x].

What
Netherlands does not say: “What? Do
you envy my scarf?”

What he does say: “Yo, good morning.”

It’s a big
difference.

Misconception: Business is everything.

Reality: Business isn’t everything, but it’s extremely important. It’s what taught him how to thrive.

Ex: Witnessing the wealth of his younger sister, Belgium,
motivated him to evolve past his agrarian roots.

Ex: It’s for this reason that Belgium believes that he’s become
so stingy and obsessed with profit.

Ex: He exchanges weapons with Spain while they’re at war.

Ex: He has no problem mixing his business and personal lives
together.

Ex: When the prospect of the nations’ memories being full of
gaps is introduced, Netherlands is able to recall business transactions from the
last three hundred years, as well as European countries’ weaknesses.

Bonus Facts:

Like England,
he may, in fact, have a tattoo [x].

His hair is
naturally flat and limp [x].

His
relationship with Denmark is good enough for him to offer the latter a cheaper “buddy
price.”

He’s extremely
neat and tidy – he won’t eat in his kitchen despite cleaning it + doesn’t like
messy gardens.

As such, these compulsions, along with his obsession with money, is likely why he is described as neurotic in a character note.

In sum, while
Netherlands may appear to be rough on the edges, stemming from his occasionally
“rough’ business practices, he’s far more than that. He’s kind and is more than
capable of sharing close relationships with others. It’s not that he’s
unfriendly either. He has a stand-offish appearance. Meanwhile, he’ll stand up
for himself and those close to him.

Oh, there’s plenty.

Russia taking back Lithuania
after the Great Depression + America’s reaction as Lithuania calls out for him.

Canada crying when Seychelles
remembers him as a member of the G8.

Germany promising Italy that
he values their friendship by giving him a cross necklace.

…

The relief on France’s face
when he realizes that Jeanne d’Arc has been reborn into a happier life

To begin with, I want to emphasize how important it is to
recognize that Hetalia is not a series that believes in permanent grudges. Regardless of
the betrayals that occur in the manga, the grudges that the nations bear rarely
if ever remain.

This doesn’t go to say that grudges can’t last for a long
time, because they do and for good reasons. What I’m getting at here is that
while the nations are cultural personifications – representing their citizens,
not just the government – they’re also people just like you and me.

How the nations associate
with each other is influenced by their political relations. On the other hand,
to say that, because of these rocky political relations, the nations in
question inevitably hate each other is a shallow way of understanding things.

Their pasts together extend beyond their present situation. They’ve
lived for several lifetimes and have their own memories and experiences; there are
other factors to take into account that influence how they view each other on a personal level. To view and associate are two
very different things that are wrongfully equated together in the fandom.

I say this because you’ll see moments where enemy nations
drop their political masks and treat each other as friends.

Ex: After being stranded on Seychelles during WW2, Italy invites
France to his side of the island and asks not to pick a fight. Italy still
fondly refers to France as Big Brother, a title that originated from their
childhood spent together in Rome’s house.

Ex: When he occupies Rome, rather than treating the Italy
brothers with hostility, America politely asks them to make him authentic Italian
cuisine.

Ex: Italy excitedly greets Austria after his annexation,
despite having recently fought him in WW1.

What this post will explore is how grudges held by the nations
subside with time.

That said, let’s go over some examples.

America and England:

Of course, I’ll get the most obvious one out of the way
first. America’s declaration of independence was experienced as a personal betrayal to England.

Ex: He’s noted to have had a stormy temper in the decades
following America’s independence. [x]

Ex: While it’s not explicitly stated, it’s alluded that
England is talking about America when he claims to have suffered from 100 years
of heartbreak.

Of more importance is that aside from their volatile political
relations, America still demands to see England when he hears that the latter’s
fallen ill as a result of the war.

Notice how distressed and panicked America is here. He even
tries to force his way into the house, despite being barred entry by
Canada. Again, the personal triumphs over the political.

As mentioned, with time, a lot of this anger and resentment disappears.

Ex: England takes the leap and attends America’s centennial
celebration.

Ex: The two are now able to tease each other void of any
spite.

Belgium and Netherlands:

There’s a rocky period in their relationship after Netherlands attempted to unify them into one Kingdom. Belgium declares her
independence instead.

We learn from his bunny how upsetting this “fight” was for
him. He copes by constantly keeping busy.

China and Japan:

This one is definitely the most difficult betrayal to
digest. It’s easily the most brutal scene depicted in the manga.

Japan stabs an unsuspecting China in the back during WW2.
What I want to place particular emphasis on is the fact that even though China
knew that their political relations were tense, he still personally trusted Japan, even as the katana was pulled out.

Additionally, notice how Japan’s face goes blank before he
stabs China. To me, this appears that he’s emotionally removed himself from the
situation.

In the aftermath of this betrayal, we see China drunkenly
crying as he realizes how war has changed Japan. Russia’s response to this is
crucial.

Nations don’t remain as enemies
forever.

It’s the good memories that last.

Even though China developed a grudge against Japan, it doesn’t
last.

Ex: In a more recent strip, China attempts to strengthen his
diplomatic ties with Japan.

Following the abolition of their empire, Lithuania falls
under Russian control. As Lithuania’s forcefully dragged away, Poland doesn’t
answer Lithuania’s pleas for help and instead laughs at his facial expression.

Because of all the fond moments they shared together,
Lithuania resents Poland for this, but he doesn’t hate him.

If he did, then he
wouldn’t have warned Poland of Russia’s plan to invade him in WW2.

All in all, the point to take away from this is that while
hatred exists in the manga, it doesn’t persist. Political relations may influence
the nations, but in no way does it define them in whole.

To understand Russia’s brutal and violent side, it’s
important to step into his mindset, warped as it is. I go into this in greater
detail in another post [x], but to put it briefly here…

During his childhood, Russia experienced severe repression
and violence. As such, he wrongly learned to equate violence as both a show of
love and a solution to his problems. Not only that, but this violence continued
into his adulthood.

Ex: Russia considers General Winter and anyone he meets to be his friend. The key point to keep in mind here is that while General Winter
protects Russia, he also attacks him every year.

Ex: Russia naïvely refers to the other Allied powers are his
friends. Meanwhile, Lithuania has a more realistic view, stating that nations
operate on principles of self-interest.

Russia becomes saddened after hearing this.

Ex: Russia’s bosses are so notoriously cruel that they
torture him when they’re bored.

They once asked him to stop a tank with his own body.

Again, I’m not justifying any of what I’m about to show. I’m
providing an explanation and in doing so, I’m shedding light on how Russia’s
warped sense of mentality makes him incapable of differentiating between right
and wrong. In other words, he’s not able to possess any morals, despite often
having good intentions.

This amorality and confusion of what true friendship, or
rather, what a healthy relationship with another person entails ,are what caused
nations in the USSR a lot of pain, suffering, and fear.

What I don’t see a lot of people mention is that these nations
are fully aware of the fact that Russia is incapable of making these distinctions.
While they may be scarred and still fearful of Russia in present times, not all
of them hold this against him. There’s meaning and reason behind this abuse,
foul and irrational as the reasoning may seem to a normal person.

That said, let’s tie this back to the strips.

What living in Russia’s Home was like:

Nations under Russian control became servants to Russia.

They were indoctrinated into saying what Russia wanted to
hear. There was no tolerance for dissent.

Similarly, while Russia represented them at world
conferences, the controlled nations would either stay home or act as servants
during these meetings.

Just like Russia was forced to build a waterway in impoverished
conditions, Latvia was tasked with building an entire railway on his own.

Notice how Russia pushes down on Latvia’s head when he protests to this.

Prussia is noted to have worked unprofitable jobs during his
time spent in the USSR. [x]

How they were affected:

Lithuania received many scars on his back. This can be both
as a result of violent historical events marking themselves on his body and
Russia physically causing these marks. It’s left open-ended.

The trauma of Russia’s abuse is enough to have him experience
flashbacks.

Ex: Lithuania recalls declaring independence from the USSR. As
he imagines this, he remembers Russia squeezing his shoulders. Still immersed
in the memory, Lithuania begins squeezing Latvia’s and Estonia’s shoulders
without realizing it. He squeezes hard enough to cause them both pain.

In a volume 2 character note, Lithuania is said to be rehabilitating
from his time spent in the USSR.

I’ve said this before, but Russia pushing down on Latvia’s
head is likely a metaphor for political repression. Latvia’s growth was stunted
in the process.

What is of more relevance here is how ignorant Russia is to
Latvia’s suffering. He doesn’t connect Latvia’s trembling to feelings of fear
[of him].

To get Latvia to stop trembling, Russia’s solution is to
snap Latvia’s neck. You can’t honestly tell me that this is the rationality of
a sane person. This isn’t calculated pain; it’s irrational.

The imposition of Russian culture was so strong that Belarus
once forgot her own language.

How they get along now:

The tension and fear are still there, but most of it has to do with the fact that
Russia’s personality is still unstable and unpredictable. He perceived the USSR
as an opportunity to keep and make new friends.

You can imagine how hard Russia took this separation,
childish and unrealistic as his conception of reality is. He was all alone
again.

Latvia is still scared of Russia and is not keen to visit him
on New Years when invited.

Estonia also remains fearful of Russia but is not afraid to
stand up to him if needed.

Ex: Estonia confronts Russia when he believes that the
latter hacked his blog.

Ex: Estonia has no problem hanging up on Russia during the
2010 Christmas event.

Prussia holds a strong resentment toward Russia. The hatred
is so deep that he’ll puke if Russia even so much as lays a finger on him.

With all that in mind, I’d like to end this by pointing out
that while history may have divided the nations [personifications], they don’t only let this effect how they interact
with each other in the present. They may still resent and be fearful of him; however, it doesn’t stop most of them from making peace and acting as if they’re a unit again.

This is seen in the 2011 Halloween event, where most of the
ex-Soviet nations coordinated their costumes together. Perhaps this is one
stride closer to obtaining the true friendship that Russia had originally
sought in them.

That weird look people give you when you tell them you like anime.

This is uh, totally random but what would happen if a nation is not independent and is ruled by another country. Does the ruling nation represent the conquered ones?

From what I
understand, yes.

Russia (the
personification) represented the USSR at world meetings.

Ex: The Baltics either stayed at Russia’s house or
acted as servants when Russia attended world meetings on their behalf. [x]

Ex: Bulgaria stopped attending the World Academy while he was under Turkish rule and didn’t come back until he was independent
again. [x]

The same
thing occurred with Romania too.

The nations are two-fold representations. By that I mean
that they have a literal body and a figurative body.

Bear with me, things get a bit tricky, but I’ll break it
down to the best of my ability.

Basically, the figurative body is what influences the nation’s
physical body.

The figurative body
is composed of two parts.

1) There’s the geography
of the nation. The landmass is sometimes referred to as their body or house,
despite the real physical one that they possess.

The geography can influence both the physical appearance and
personality of the personification.

Ex: Since Sealand’s geographic body is small, so is his physical
one.

Ex: Iceland’s contrasting volcanic and freezing temperatures respectively
causes him to have a hot and cold side.

2) There’s the personality
of a nation. The personality of a nation (not to be confused with the
personification’s personality) is defined in terms of culture in the manga [x]

If the culture is well-developed
and thriving, then the personification will also thrive and be able to grow; to
age. However, if the culture is repressed, then the personification’s growth
will also be stunted.

The reason I’m outlining this is essentially to show how
geography/climate and historical events are reflected in the personifications’
appearances and personalities. Information on the impact that this has on their
health can be found here [x] [x]

What this post will focus on, however, is why some nations
have scars and either suffer from or are affected with other physical symptoms.

Let’s go over some examples.

Ancient Rome:

Before dying, Rome was noted to have many wounds and scars –
a physical reflection of the turmoil his people suffered from.

Lithuania:

We know from his time spent in the USSR that Lithuania acquired
several scars on his back. The military repression of several revolts and the
banning of diverse cultural practices in favor of an atheist state very likely
had a role in causing these scars to appear.

Latvia:

Latvia’s case is similar to Lithuania’s. While we don’t know
if he has any scars, we know that Russia pushing down onto his head ultimately
stunted his growth. How I interpret this is that it’s a metaphor for political repression.

Put another way, Russian control stunted Latvia’s growth,
which, in turn, was reflected in the personification’s physical body.

China:

It’s hinted that China gained scars after being betrayed by
Japan in WW2. It’s both a literal and symbolic stab to the back.

Germany:

Each time America engages in reckless financial activities,
a new wrinkle develops on Germany’s forehead.

Finland:

Estonia’s quest to become a Nordic causes Finland’s back to
be itchy whenever he’s talked about.

Bonus cases that aren’t so clear…

Russia:

When he’s not wearing a scarf, Russia is shown to be wearing
bandages around his neck.

Netherlands:

An unknown event caused him to develop a scar on his
forehead.

Before I start, it’s important to go over and situate a few
things. The nations’ immortality is more of a curse than it is a blessing.
They’ve experienced countless wars, plagues, political strife, and have even
died, only to be regenerated.

Now, unlike humans who have been blindsided with the rough
backhand of fate, the nations are forced to relive these pains over and over
again. It would be enough to drive a normal person mad.

In other words, their immortality was a prison that kept them
locked into a systemic cycle of bloodshed. What adds to this prison imagery is
that they’re obligated to listen to their bosses and fight in wars that they don’t
necessarily want to participate in.

Nowadays, this prison more has to do with loneliness. They
still follow their bosses’ orders, but the restrictions on their freedom are
not nearly as pervasive.

Ex: England’s sweet and alcohol intake is regulated by his
boss.

Regardless, Germania and Ancient Rome best exemplify how
their freedom was gained not by their immortality, but rather, the loss of it.
They were “liberated” from their bosses and war upon dying.

France is another good example of this. He gives better
insight into how heartless history can be in tossing peoples’ lives around. When
he first sees Lisa, Jeanne d’Arc’s reincarnate, he believed that God was
playing a cruel trick on him. On its own, this already proves how betrayed and
hurt France felt after her death.

Nonetheless, France still keeps his faith and believes that
humans who have had rough past lives will be reborn into happier ones. He
doesn’t have this privilege.

The purpose of this post will be to illustrate how the
nations’ immortality has historically caused them to live through many
traumatic events. It would follow, then, that being reared in such unhealthy
environments would cause some of them to develop PTSD.

In fact, there is a mounting pile of canon evidence that
depicts the nations having discomforting flashbacks, severe anxiety, and
nightmares. That said, let’s go over some examples.

America:

When his settlers moved inland, America didn’t have many
belongings to his name. England ponders why America produces things in mass and
comes to the realization that America’s overconsumption of goods likely stems
from this impoverished period of his life.

Note the use of the word traumatized.

Lithuania:

Lithuania has a flashback to when he and the other Baltic
States declared their independence from the USSR. He then experiences another
flashback, where Russia squeezes his shoulder – it’s used as a metaphor to
represent political repression.

Lithuania is so immersed in this second flashback that he
begins squeezing Estonia’s and Latvia’s shoulders without realizing it.

One of his character notes also mentions that he’s been rebilitating after his time spent in the USSR.

England:

England doubts his capacity to care for young America. The
stress of this new responsibility causes him to have a flashback of his older
brothers sending him hexes.

It’s noted that England once suffered from 100 years of heartbreak, presumably a reference to the American Revolution.

This is a theory of mine, as it isn’t confirmed in canon, but given that England coughs up blood and gets ill on the fourth of July, I think that it is meant to symbolize how he still hasn’t recovered emotionally from America’s independence. In other words, each year, England’s heart is both literally and figuratively ripped open on the inside.

Japan:

While this example is a more subtle depiction of trauma, it’s
not surprising.

Although this isn’t covered in the strips, following WW2, Japan
would have become America’s underling. As such, the atrocities committed by the
atomic bombs would have made him visibly more compliant to America’s demands,
regardless if he agreed or not.

This is seen in a world meeting where Japan unanimously agrees
with America’s ridiculous global warming plan. Switzerland even calls out Japan
for not voicing his true opinion.

Switzerland:

Switzerland’s mercenary past still haunts him. Lichtenstein
perceptively reads into this as she asks him why they’re working to boost her income through tourism.

Italy:

Italy’s perhaps one of the most anxiety-ridden characters in
the series.

Ex: He worries that Germany hates him and has nightmares
about this. His greatest fear is being left behind to fend for himself.

This insecurity leads him to make Germany reaffirm to him several times that he’s not actually hated.

Ex: Italy has nightmares where a childhood version of himself
presses to be acknowledged.

The dream ends with Italy screaming and refusing to
acknowledge the child. To me, and as I’ve theorized in the past, I read this as
Italy repressing parts of his childhood to minimize and forget about the trauma
that he experienced. The child is merely a representation of his unconscious
mind.

Germany:

Germany also has a childhood version of himself pressing to
be acknowledged. Of course, this is running on the assumption that he’s
actually Holy Rome and has forgotten about his childhood.

Similarly, he’s once depicted to be holding Chibitalia,
looking visibly confused.

“It’s me.”

Again, how I see this is that perhaps Germany is repressing
aspects of his childhood. In that case, Chibitalia is an unconscious
representation of these memories attempting to pierce through to his conscious
mind.

All in all, given how long the nations have lived, it’s not
novel to assume that they’re still traumatized by things that have happened to
them in the past.

They owe their
existence to them.

Ex: France lays out the rule that as long as the nation
possesses a stable government and a large enough citizenry to identify with
said national identity, the respective personification will remain and continue
to be immortal.

This rule is further confirmed in World Stars, where France
explicitly admits that he exists because of his citizens.

They openly interact with one another + humans know of their existence.

A common misconception that people often make is that the
nations’ identities are a secret kept from the public and that only their bosses
know about them. That simply isn’t true.

In fact, while some humans are shown to be perplexed by the
nations’ immortality, their overall existence is known to the public.

Ex: France introduces himself to Lisa, Jeanne d’Arc’s
reincarnate.

Ex: Italy flirts with his own citizens.

Interestingly, Italy’s also admitted to getting tired of
seeing the same faces of his citizens every day – a consequence of his
immortality. However, he does add to this and claims that seeing
these same faces can also be refreshing.

Point is, on top of their being no knowledge barrier of
their existence, the personifications openly interact with their citizens.

The Nations are Citizens Themselves.

Ex: Romano has his own passport.

Ex: Russia isn’t exempt from civilian duties, such as manual labor.

He’s forced to build a waterway alongside his people under
impoverished conditions.

He fought alongside his people in both world wars (as well
as any other personification), and endured the same notoriously terrible living
conditions that his soldiers were exposed to.

Ex: Coinciding with the last example, the nations serve in
their military. Here, America is tasked with tightening security among his
troops after Germany and Prussia successfully infiltrated them.

Population Demographics Affect the Nation’s Personality Traits, Behaviours, Habits, and Physiology:

Given that this is a series predicated on stereotypes, this
isn’t all that surprising.

Ex: China has a video game addiction resulting from this
becoming a rising problem among Chinese youth.

Ex: Germany strictly adheres to the directions of his GPS.
Hima drew this from a news story of a Bavarian who caused an accident by
following GPS directions.

Ex: Post WW1, several Lithuanians immigrated to America to
outsource their labor so that they could send money back home. As such,
Lithuania lived with America during this time.

The same thing happened with Romano. He went to live with America
during the first Industrial Revolution –a direct effect of his own people
migrating there for work.