Sorry been dealing with another thread as well as not having much time on my hands.
Quote Originally Posted by NeoSpartan
I am talking about the sovereign calling on a large number of foreign troops, which are led by a foreigner. And that foreign leader and his troops are not under control of the sovereign.

To use the Po Valley Celts as an example:
-The Po Valley Celts hired/called on the Gaesatae (btw that organization was no longer in existence by the time Ceasar and Arventicus showed up ) because they could not take on the Romans themselves. But still, the Po Valley Celts had a good deal of control or say on the movements, and battle position of the Gaesatae. HOWEVER, in the case of Caesar, he was not working in close conjunction, or under the direction of any Gallic tribe. There was no telling him where to move his troops inside Gaul, let alone telling him where to put his troops in battle. Same issue with the Suebi king.
Ariovistus and his troops were under the leadership of the Sequani. Ariovistus decided after defeating the Aedui to turn on his employer the Sequani and subjugate them.

It does appear that I was wrong that there was a stalemate between the Aedui and Sequani.
Arthur D. Khan-"The Education of Julius Caesar"-"Some years earlier the Aeduians, the most powerful of the Gallic tribes, had engaged in a war over river tolls with their neighbors the Sequanians. The Sequanians had called in German mercenaries under the Suebian chief Ariovistus and inflicted a major defeat on the Aeduans. Subsequently, the Sequanians, themselves threatened by the Germans, sought a reconciliation with the Aeduans against the common foe. Two parties arose within both tribes, one proposing to solicit aid against the Germans from the Helvetians, and the other seeking Roman intervention. While the Romans were preoccupied with the revolt of the Allobrogians, neighbors to the Helvetians and the Aeduans, a Helvetian chieftain plotted with an Aeduan chief and a Seqanian chief for mutual assistance in seizing power in their respective countries. Such an alliance among the three Gallic tribes could not be tolerated by Rome, and possibly at Roman instigation, the Helvetian, Orgetorix, was tried by his people and convicted of attempting to usurp supreme power. The Helvetians, however, continued their plans to migrate to the sea. With the general movement of semi-nomadic tribes in Central Europe, Rome feared the warlike Germans might occupy the Helvetian homeland.
Quote Originally Posted by Gaius Valerius
their weren't many 'real' german tribes at the time of caesar. that is, from a linguistic point of view. the rhine wasn't a linguistic/cultural border till the time of august. its hard to make a distinction in 'civilisations' when no written evidence (from themselves) is present. archeologically speaking we find the same items east/west of the rhine.
I was curious to which tribes you consider 'real' German? My guess is your referring to the Suebi as being real Germans while the Belgae tribes not being 'real' Germans?

@Power2the1 Thank you for posting Ranika's answer to what if the supposed "Devastating Civil War" never happened. I will try to find his post were he talks of it happening and what he has for proof. I might address some of the issues in the "what if" thread as well.