You famously hear about Russians "Defending the Motherland", and they use it to describe Russia, Ukraind calls it that to and i could imagne the rest of "Slav Countries" calls it that too

But in Scandinavia and Germany its called the Fatherland (Fedreland, Vaterland etc) why is it a divide? is it just by chance that the Russians have the Motherland and Germans the Fatherland? or is it a larger Historic reason?