It is crossed by several major rivers which provide water for crops and transport for goods. Germany encompasses a variety of terrains, from snow-covered mountains in the south to rolling hills in the west to the flatlands of the east. During its brief existence Germany has had a profound effect - for good and for bad - on human history. While various "Germanic" peoples have occupied northern-central Europe for thousands of years, the modern political entity known as "Germany" is extremely young, created almost singlehandedly by the brilliant Prussian politician Otto von Bismarck some 140 years ago. The Panzer, mirroring the historic tank brigades of the Third Reich, is one of the most terrifying weapons of the late game, thanks to its enhanced speed and strength. Trading primarily with city-states maximizes this special ability. Germany's unique building, the Hanse, replaces the Bank and is a very nice way to bolster both Gold income and Production in the mid-game. The Honor policy tree comes in handy, as it gives notifications about new Barbarian encampments as soon as they appear.
This will produce an army strong enough to deter any warmongers while simultaneously leaving cities free to build civilian buildings and wonders. If a domination victory is not desired, good use can still be made of the Germans' unique ability by sending out two units together on a permanent mission to seek and destroy Barbarian encampments. However, playing as Germany need not be about conquering. Note that the Germans receive a flat 25 Gold for recruiting the defender of a Barbarian encampment, whereas the amount of Gold acquired when an encampment is captured is dependent on both the difficulty level and the game speed. Once the Germans have researched Optics, units recruited from Barbarian encampments will have the ability to embark when they are received, without needing to enter German territory. Units such as the Horseman and Swordsman - which normally require strategic resources such as Horses and Iron - do not require or use strategic resources when acquired from encampments, but will require the resource to be upgraded.
This is especially useful in the early game when there are plenty of Barbarian encampments around, and more so if Raging Barbarians is active. Their unique ability allows them to both maintain a larger army than normal, and to press-gang Barbarians into their army throughout the game.
The Germans are one of the best civilizations in regards to military prowess. 2.7 Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire.