Germany Ready to Accept Lead in Europe

Once again, Germany is embracing its militaristic roots.
 

Following a double bombing in Turkey on Saturday that killed 46 people and left 100 injured, the German media is speaking out. When Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Sunday, “It is time for the international community to act together against [the Assad] regime,” many of Germany’s leading newspapers from both the left and right jumped on board in backing his comments. The bombing, which took place in a town near the Syrian border, is believed to have been carried out by individuals with ties to Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s administration.

On Monday, Spiegel Online reported, “German commentators decried the bombing, as well as the failure of the West to take a unified position on the worsening situation in Syria. Though several commentators warned against full-scale intervention, they seemed to agree that the bombing … will increase the pressure on the U.S. and its nato allies to attempt to contain the violence.” The article then went on to quote both liberal and conservative German newspapers, all of which agreed that the West needs to step in.

This action by the German media to impress upon the German people the need for Germany to step forward as a leading nation is important. For years, Germany has been content to sit back and let other nations take the lead in conflict resolution. In a recent interview, German Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière “defended Berlin’s reluctance to put combat troops on the ground over the last 20 years, and its refusal to join the military effort to overthrow Muammar Qadhafi” (guardian.co.uk, April 22).

But now times are changing.

De Maizière admitted that “Germany had to learn that fighting is important.” He believes that Germany once again has to learn that force is acceptable and that it no longer needs to be ashamed of its war-like past. He defended German troops in Afghanistan, saying, “Some of our partners thought we were ‘cake-eaters,’ and not up to the task. … But the German armed forces proved to be able to fight.”

Europe and America realize that Germany has the capacity to be a dominant player in the world, and have begun to push Germany to take on more of a leading role in European and nato affairs. The world is signaling to Germany that it no longer needs to be ashamed of its militaristic past. The world is encouraging German militarism. Right now, Britain and France are in strategic retreat in Afghanistan. One big reason: They can’t afford a war anymore. Britain announced that it plans to withdraw 3,800 soldiers from Afghanistan this year. Meanwhile, Germany and Poland are the only two large European nations that have not made any significant cuts to defense spending.

Germany is in perfect position to fill the power void. When German newspapers call for Europe to take action in Syria, what they are saying is that it’s time for Germany to take action. The U.S. has shown little desire to intervene, despite “red line” promises of action if chemical weapons were used; Britain and France are downsizing; Israel faces retaliation from Hezbollah. That leaves Germany.

The German newspapers speaking out on the issue is conditioning the minds of the German populace to accept that Germany is the new dominant power in Europe and the world, and that it is the one that needs to take action.

Since the defeat of Germany in World War ii, Herbert W. Armstrong repeatedly warned that Germany would rise from the rubble to initiate nuclear World War iii. Back in 1945, he warned, “We don’t understand German thoroughness. From the very start of World War ii, they have considered the possibility of losing this second round, as they did the first—and they have carefully, methodically planned, in such eventuality, the third round—World War iii! Hitler has lost. This round of war, in Europe, is over. And the Nazis have now gone underground. … They plan to come back and to win on the third try.”

This time, Germany will succeed, for a short time, before Jesus Christ returns to put an end to all war. Read “Germany—Reverting to Militaristic Type?” to see where German militarism is leading and the good news that lies at the end.