I can't think of another country that has been punted around more than Poland. To say they've had a rocky history would be an understatement. Their location makes them a target.
Over the years England took quite a bashing. Vikings, Romans, Saxons, Germans, French, Scots, they all had a go at the place. The word English came from a German tribe of that name who invaded and took over at some point.
My home town was Sunderland. The word sunder meant in between. It was on the border of some endless war between Vikings and English I believe, or maybe Vikings and Scots. It regularly changed hands and was burned to the ground and rebuilt multiple times.
Probably the same everywhere if you look back far enough.