You are correct in that it has shifted in the past. Germany is a good example as it was once a more loose group of provinces prior to Hitler's rise. I have an American friend that moved back from there a few years ago and be talks about the different cultures inside of Germany that still persist.
While it is true that Germany as a united state was formed later than other European states, this had absolutely nothing to do with Hitler. Rather, the "Deutsche Reich" (German Empire) was founded in 1871.
You are correct in that it has shifted in the past. Germany is a good example as it was once a more loose group of provinces prior to Hitler's rise. I have an American friend that moved back from there a few years ago and be talks about the different cultures inside of Germany that still persist.