Though no longer the chief delinquent of Europe, and though not much thought is given to its strategic position, Germany is still Europe’s center of gravity, territorially contiguous to more nations than any state other than Russia, with compact interior lines of communication, Western Europe’s largest population, and Europe’s leading economy.
Facts like these assert themselves through every kind of historical fluctuation, even if America now sees Germany, the way stop for airlifters en route to Iraq and Afghanistan, as a kind of giant aircraft carrier with sausages. But Germany is no doubt the subject of far deeper consideration on the one hand by Russia and on the other by Jihadists.
Read the whole thing here. (link fixed – sorry!)
…i’m getting WSJ “page unavailable” when i click the link… is that just me?
Me, too.
What does the world expect of the Germans? They were forcibley demilitarized, and kept in a constant weakened state by the United States, Great Britain and Russia.
Their defence was handled largely by other NATO countries, and we encouraged, even fostered a non aggressive, even pacifist bent in the citizens and elected govts for 60+ years..
..and now that we have done that, we expect to see the return of that good old Prussian militarism on a dime?
Not in this lifetime..
kursk – I disagree with you if your position is that the US is the reason for today’s spineless Germany. Of course they were de-militarized and occupied after WWII. Germans burned Europe to the ground twice and murdered 6 million Jews plus others in history’s ugliest methodical genocide. Their pacification was then, this is now and has been for awhile.
The US has begged Germany for years to be better committed to NATO to no avail. Try reading the article again with a key emphasis on Putin, Iran and the terrorist threat to Germany. Here’s the mindframe of self-imposed socialized Germany: pacificism at all costs; Israel, a rogue state for exercising military option against annhilation.
The US has invited Japan to go nuclear to counter the NK threat, you really think the US is holding Germany back from getting a spine and re-militarizing?
The demise of Europe isn’t the fault of Americans.
I agree with Penny. The demise of Europe is the fault of the Europeans – mainly their bureaucrats and governments. It was their decision to transform Europe into Eurabia. This is the major reason for the never-ending appeasement of the Muslims.
It is sad to witness the light of Western civilisation being extinguished by the barbarism of Islam which has contributed nothing in the way of enlightenment or progress to civilisation.
With all of Europe’s problems with radical muslims, stemming mostly from their unrestrained immigration policies and blind faith to the dying dogma of political correctness, expect to see a war of some form coming to Europe in the future.
don’t think it will be confined to Europe M1. China and Iran will be major players in the next world war, and Africa will be a big target for Islamic expansion.
Unfortunately, the drums of war are sounding. There will be power plays for resources in the near future.
Europe will be neutered by Russia with it’s energy supplies, and then with China and Iran try to be gatekeepers for the Persian Gulf.
The allies will be mostly Commonwealth democracies who will either find other resources or go and take it.
As for Islam and Africa, when it comes to energy and economic survival, nukes work to take out an unwanted enemy in an unwanted front in a war dealing with more pressing issues. There will be agreement on both sides.
Germany-“the richest target, the least defended”?
Then how about this pithy statement:
“Wars are caused by undefended wealth.” – General Douglas MacArthur
Well look at all those treaties signed between the USA and the former USSR and russia violated everyone