German Militarization Upsetting Europe’s Power Balance

Germany is pumping hundreds of billions into its defense industry and has said it will spend twice as much on its armed forces as France. This is turning Europe’s perennial economic powerhouse, which already has the fourth-largest military by spending, into something unseen since World War ii. As a Politico report shows, this will drastically change the future of French and German industry, as well as European politics.

Germany intends to spend $178 billion a year on defense by 2029, compared to France’s $93 billion by 2030. Germany has marginally outspent France for years but has not prioritized readiness, technology, autonomy and aggression. That is changing.

The German government has also abruptly shifted toward contracting with German manufacturers. The procurement plans reveal an intention to sign fewer than 10 percent of new contracts with U.S. suppliers and to order almost everything else from Germany’s own defense industry, which is one of the best in the world, and from other European manufacturers.

Internal documents seen by Politico reveal preparations for numerous, long-term defense contracts worth $97 billion by 2026. These will form part of a substantial $439 billion wish list to be outlined in the 2026 budget.

“That’s an unprecedented surge touching every area of the armed forces, from tanks and frigates to drones, satellites and radar systems,” Politico commented.

This is nothing less than a tectonic shift in the balance of industrial, military and strategic power.

“It’s halfway between vigilance and threat,” a French defense official told Politico. “It will be difficult to work with them because they will be extremely dominant.” He added, referring to the influx of cash into German defense firms, “They won’t need to invade Alsace and Moselle. They can just buy it.”

In “Germany’s Rearmament Upends Europe’s Power Balance,” Politico commented:

As Germany aims to become Europe’s predominant military power, the political balance is shifting. In France, there’s a scramble to stay relevant, while in Poland, Germany’s rearmament is stirring old ghosts and creating a sense that a Berlin-Warsaw alliance might be the most effective way to keep Russia at bay. …

One EU official called the shift in Germany’s military potential “telluric,” or Earth-moving. Another diplomat put it more directly: “It’s the most important thing happening right now at [the] EU level.”

Poland’s deputy defense minister, Paweł Zalewski, said, “Looking at history, a situation where Germany would link its economic power with military might has always raised fears.” But he added that, in light of the U.S.’s diminished role in Europe, an increase in German military strength is “a natural response.”

Others expressed similar sentiments. “It could be frightening, no doubt,” an EU diplomat said. “But Germany has coalitions. It’s in the EU and nato—and many things could happen in the meantime.”

For decades, the Trumpet has warned that Germany will rise to become Europe’s undisputed military leader, as prophesied in Daniel 2 and Revelation 17. We are now witnessing the fulfillment of this prophecy before our eyes, and much more is yet to come.