Protecting NATO’s Achilles’ Heel

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is the most powerful military alliance in the world. Its 32 member states spend over $1.6 trillion per year maintaining state-of-the-art military forces staffed by 3.4 million soldiers. Yet nato still has a geographic weak spot, often referred to as its Achilles’ heel: the Suwałki Gap.

Once described by Politico as the “most dangerous place in the world,” this narrow, 40-mile-wide strip of land connects the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) with Poland and the rest of nato. To the west of this gap lies the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad; to the east lies Russia’s ally Belarus. If Vladimir Putin were to strike the Suwałki Gap unexpectedly, he could conceivably cut the Baltic states off from their allies.

Since these states comprise less than 1 percent of nato’s overall military power, it would be relatively easy for Russia to conquer Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. This nightmare scenario is unlikely to happen anytime soon, as Russia’s military forces are tied down in Ukraine. Yet military planners in Germany take this threat seriously. They realize the Suwałki Gap must be fortified to protect the Baltics.

In April, the German military activated its 45th Panzer Brigade, nicknamed the Lithuania Brigade. Once the formation of this brigade is complete, it will consist of 4,800 troops and 200 civilian staff members. Stationed in the Rūdninkai Training Area, 22 miles southwest of Lithuania’s capital, this brigade will soon be supported by a battle tank manufacturing center. The ability to manufacture and repair tanks locally would be vital in any war scenario where Russia cuts off Lithuania’s supply lines by seizing the Suwałki Gap. So on December 11, the Lithuanian military finalized a deal with knds Deutschland to locally assemble 41 Leopard 2A8 tanks by 2030.

Additionally, the Lithuanian military announced on December 15 that it would build a major training facility in the Suwałki Gap. So if Russia ever tried to launch a surprise attack, its forces would be met with German tanks and soldiers stationed in the 40-mile-wide gap between Kaliningrad and Belarus.

Poland is helping build up European defenses as well, launching construction of its East Shield defense network in November. The $2.5 billion system will span Poland’s 435-mile border with Belarus. Germany has already agreed to send engineers to Poland this coming April on a two-year mission to build fortifications.

This might seem like a lot of effort to protect three small states without much military power, but the Baltics hold special significance for Germany. After Holy Roman Emperor Frederick ii gave the Teutonic Knights permission to conquer the Baltic in 1226, these knights spent two centuries carving out a northern Ordenstaat in the region. This Teutonic Ordenstaat was renamed Prussia in 1525, when the state’s rulers converted from Catholicism to Lutheranism. Yet the Junker class of landed aristocrats remained the same.

Prussia didn’t lose its Baltic territories until 1918, after it lost World War i. Most Baltic Germans were repatriated back to Germany after World War ii, but Germany still jumped at the chance to help the Baltics’ reintegration into Western structures after the Soviet Union fell. Since Germany is an industrial powerhouse with coastlines along both the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, it has special economic interests in the Baltics and Scandinavia.

While Germany’s attempts to defend the Baltics from Russia may seem noble, it is important to remember that Germany’s Junker class has desired to reclaim the Baltics for decades. In their 1945 book, The Plot Against the Peace: A Warning to the Nation!, journalists Michael Sayers and Albert E. Kahn warned:

During the past 40 years Germany has had three entirely different political regimes. Until 1918, Germany was a monarchy under Kaiser Wilhelm ii. Until 1933, Germany was a republic under Social Democratic ministers. From 1933 on, Germany was a fascist dictatorship under Adolf Hitler. Yet under each regime, the same men ruled in Germany. Behind each political facade, the reins of power were held by a small group of not more than a few thousand military leaders, industrialists, Junkers and scientific experts who constitute the German General Staff. This General Staff is the real permanent government of Germany, not only controlling Germany’s military affairs but also German economy, technology, schools, universities and politics.

In Kaiser Wilhelm’s time, the German General Staff was largely Prussian, so Germany’s real leaders have a deep historical connection with the Baltics dating back to the Middle Ages. It is no coincidence that the first foreign military base Germany established after World War ii was in Lithuania. Russia is aggressively attacking Ukraine right now, but the German military is letting it know the Suwałki Gap is off limits.

In “Lithuania in Prophecy,” which focuses heavily on Nazi Germany’s attempts to reconquer Lithuania, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote:

Based on Bible prophecy, I can tell you this is no solitary act! The German military is going to expand to many other nations in Europe. …

We are dealing with a different Germany today than we have for several decades. It is rising up and has already become the strongest military power in Europe. When you look at what Bible prophecy says about this, it is not good news.

The Bible prophesies that the Roman Catholic Church would rule over seven resurrections of the Holy Roman Empire (Revelation 17:10). The Baltic region was conquered in a series of bloody northern crusades launched by Frederick Stupor Mundi’s empire, the third of these seven resurrections. Expect the leaders of Germany to step up efforts to regain Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The Teutonic Knights are not just a relic of history; they are the precursor of today’s German Bundeswehr, and they want their homeland back.

To learn more, request a free copy of The Holy Roman Empire in Prophecy.