It’s funny how ‘you’ and ‘us’ creeps into discussions of history.
I can comfortably say I wasn’t even alive back then and thus had no influence on the situation. :P
Countries are like ships of Theseus - if the entire population dies and is replaced by a new generation, is it even the same country?
I’d say the opposite - that inheritance implies a lack of choice.
Nobody can choose their genetics.
Many have no choice as to which behavioural characteristics they inherit from their parents.
Some can choose not to speak the language their parents speak, but they can’t choose to not have the knowledge of that language - only time and physical damage can erode knowledge.
Strictly speaking the countries have the choice to keep the spellings or drop them for something else.
This has creeped a long way from a mention of cheques and banks…