Close to midnight on Aug. 21, 1939, music stopped playing on Berlin radio for the following announcement: “The Reich government and the Soviet government have agreed to conclude a pact of nonaggression with each other.” The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed two days later. Hitler had allayed his primary fear; the eastern front was secure. Russia was his friend.
Eight days later, World War ii began.
Germany and Russia have a long history of conflict. There have been bouts of cooperation, such as the Treaty of Rapallo in 1922 and the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. But these were marriages of convenience—forged out of mutual strategic necessity before major conflict—that always ended in divorce, often violent.
History is consistent on this point: Germany and Russia are not close friends. Any appearance that they are is a herald of war.
A Significant and Underrated Trend
During a visit to Russia in June, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier praised the relationship between Russia and Germany, calling Russia “an indispensable partner for Germany and the European Union” and touting “German-Russian cooperation as a model of interaction, so that both sides will benefit if our potential is united” (emphasis mine throughout).
Steinmeier’s remarks should be deeply disturbing to students of history. “One cannot fault the rest of the world if it takes Steinmeier’s comments with a bit of apprehension,” mused Stratfor. “The last time Germany and Russia ‘united their potential,’ the result was the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which carved up Eastern Europe between the Soviet Union and the Third Reich in 1939” (June 11). This premier intelligence organization sees Russian-German relations through the grim prism of history and recognizes cause for apprehension.
Truth is, this forming Russian-German axis is one of the most significant and underrated trends on the world scene!
Significantly, Germany’s relationship with Russia is thriving as its relationship with the U.S. is melting down. Tension between America and Germany is flaring on a range of issues—the war in Afghanistan, the global financial crisis, Guantanamo prisoners, Russia. These are not superficial, short-lived differences. Fundamentally, Stratfor wrote, they are “symptoms of a long-term trend—Germany’s rise to a preeminent position in Europe” (June 5).
Berlin’s ascendancy is undermining U.S. interests in Europe. Stratfor continued: “In almost 65 years of diplomacy following the defeat of the Third Reich, the key U.S. strategy in Europe has been to prevent the rise of a single powerful political entity that could block U.S. interests in the region. The Germany of 2009 is giving the United States the first glimmer of such an entity.“
Germany’s decision to engage Russia, even though it means upsetting the U.S., is a sign that “a single powerful political entity” has emerged in Europe!
Russia recognizes this reality and is positioning itself accordingly. The Kremlin knows European history and sees that Germany has restored itself as the dominant power of Europe. The Russians are thus forging closer ties with the political, military and economic entity that will determine Europe’s future. Henry Kissinger once famously asked: “If I want to call Europe, who do I call?” Well, the Kremlin knows exactly who to call: That’s why it has established a direct line to Berlin!
The Kremlin also sees the fissures in the U.S.-German relationship and is wooing Berlin further away from Washington. Consider the Opel saga. Until recently, this European subsidiary of America’s General Motors, like gm itself, faced collapse—a collapse that would have hammered parts of the German economy. Despite cries for help from Berlin, Washington made no attempt to save Opel. Seeing an opportunity, the Kremlin swooped in with an eleventh-hour deal that saved Opel—and the jobs of thousands of Germans.
“The last-minute assist by the Kremlin might be the first glimpse of a new political alliance developing in Europe,” wrote Stratfor (op. cit.).
It was indeed a glimpse, but it wasn’t the first. The world got a hard look at the Russian-German alliance August last year when Russia steamrolled Georgia and Germany barely raised an eyebrow. Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote at the time: “I believe Germany may well have been complicit in Russia’s plan to attack Georgia!” That bold statement was supported by later events. In January, when Russia shut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine, Germany sided with the Kremlin. Now Russia has reciprocated by coming to Germany’s rescue and bailing out Opel.
It’s also noteworthy that every time Russia or Germany meets with America, soon after comes a meeting between Berlin and Moscow. Steinmeier’s meeting with Putin and Medvedev in Russia in June occurred just after Obama met with Merkel in Dresden. In July, Medvedev got together with Merkel shortly after meeting with Obama. Stratfor wrote that “the Russian and German leaders are presenting a united front after every substantial meeting with Washington” (ibid.).
The trend is obvious: Russia and Germany are forging a relationship almost in defiance of the United States. Though prophecy does foretell of a temporary warming of U.S.-German relations, that will end in a vicious betrayal (explained in our free booklet Ezekiel: The End-Time Prophet).
Where Will This End?
History tells us where this will end. The formation of a peace pact between Russia and Germany is a sure sign that one or both are preparing for an imperialistic, violent mission.
Watch German-Russian relations carefully: It appears another Molotov-Ribbentrop pact is imminent. In fact, as Mr. Flurry wrote last year, such an agreement may already exist. “I believe that Germany’s leaders may have already agreed to a deal with Russia, a modern Hitler-Stalin pact where Germany and Russia divide countries and assets between themselves,” he wrote. “This agreement would allow each to turn its sights on other targets” (Trumpet, November-December 2008).
He wrote that before Germany sided with Russia in the Ukraine gas crisis, before things really began to fall apart in the U.S.-Germany relationship, and before Russia came to Germany’s aid by bailing out Opel. Time and events are proving that analysis correct.
Watch for fireworks to follow!