Europeans are not aware of their tribal ancestry.  One of Germany's Historical moments was the pivotal battle in the Teutoburg Forest between the Roman army and the alliance of Germanic tribes.

This battle took place in Germany in the Teutoburg Forest in 9 CE when an alliance of Germanic tribes ambushed and decisively destroyed three Roman legions and their auxiliaries, led by Publius Quinctilius Varus.  The anti-Roman alliance was led by Arminius, a Germanic officer of Varus' auxilia who had acquired Roman citizenship and had received a Roman military education, thus enabling him to deceive the Roman commander methodically and anticipate the Roman army's tactical responses.

The Germanic victory against the Roman legions in the Teutoburg forest had far-reaching effects on the subsequent history of both the ancient Germanic people and on the Roman Empire.  Modern historians have regarded Arminius' victory as "Rome's greatest defeat."