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Germany has little military power, and the condition of the Bundeswehr is not optimal, to say the least. So calling it the "main power" in Europe is an exaggera

by lqet 8y ago

Germany has little military power, and the condition of the Bundeswehr is not optimal, to say the least. So calling it the "main power" in Europe is an exaggeration, few Germans see their country as that, in a way also because there is little to no real national identity. As a German, I frequently notice a common misconception about the country: it cannot be understood as a static nation with a common narrative. Mindset, culture, wealth and history (even language) of the states ("Länder") differ quite significantly. The idea of "one" German nation is really not that old, and there are many Germans who would not describe themselves as Germans, but instead as members of the original, once independent region or city they are living in ("Swabians", "Bavarians", "Frisians", "Hamburgers", etc). Not so very long ago, the country was also sharply divided religiously into Protestants and Catholics, and a similar conflict is now emerging between Christians and Muslims. The first common experience to "Germans" was WWII and the guilt of the holocaust. I cannot think of any other integrative narrative that wouldn't be quite a stretch. Any power Germany had, has, or will have, is fragile, not only because we are quite exposed geographically, but also because the idea of "Germany" was always so dynamic. A fragile power is no power. You may argue with Taleb that this makes the country antifragile, but personally I find it extremely unrealistic for Germany to hold any status other than "economic" power for an extended period of time. It wasn't achieved in over 1250 years since Charles the Great, and not for lack of trying.

tasuki 8y ago
Your first paragraph was quite enlightening! In my experience as a Czech, the guilt over WWII and the holocaust is the recurrent unifying theme for Germans. On one hand I do appreciate the sentiment. On the other, I think it's a bit of an overreaction that just displaying the German flag is often seen as a form of radical nationalism. Also, this bit made me laugh: > Germany [...] quite exposed geographically Yes, squeezed between Poland and Belgium? Or perhaps Czech Republic and the Netherlands? Austria and Denmark? All these scary countries around! I can promise you the Czechs aren't planning any attacks on the exposed Germany just yet :)
- nisa 8y ago
  > I can promise you the Czechs aren't planning any attacks on the exposed Germany just yet :) děkuju moc! And greetings from germany :) Czech is a wonderful language by the way. It's sad there is so little interest for your country in Germany. As for the flag: I doubt it's a such a big deal. It's unpopular in educated circles to some degree but I'm worried quite more about all the people using the Imperial War Flag to demonstrate their disdain for modern democracy.
- lqet 8y ago
  > In my experience as a Czech, the guilt over WWII and the holocaust is the recurrent unifying theme for Germans. This is 100% true, and as the number of people who experienced WWII and the holocaust is rapidly declining, the German political elite is on a desperate search for another national identity. I fear that if they are not successful, we will see strong separatist movements in some areas of Germany during the next 10-30 years. > Yes, squeezed between Poland and Belgium? Or perhaps Czech Republic and the Netherlands? Austria and Denmark? All these scary countries around! I meant that Germany has almost no natural borders, except the Alps, the Rhine and a tiny amount of coast. I can assure you that this is extremely present in the German mindset, and has been for centuries. It may explain the general "nervousness" of Germans, and is also one of the reasons the refugee crisis had such a significant impact on German politics. It is true that we are surrounded by friends, but the part you find laughable - the small military power of most of our neighboring nations, with the exception of France - is at the same time the main reason Germany has to be nervous. If somebody wanted to invade us, they would just walk over the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic, or Switzerland. I am 31. When I was 2, half of Germany was still de facto occupied by Russia.
  - tasuki 8y ago
    > If somebody wanted to invade [Germany], they would just walk over the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic See, this is the part I find worrying! :)

by lqet 8y ago

tasuki 8y ago

Your first paragraph was quite enlightening! In my experience as a Czech, the guilt over WWII and the holocaust is the recurrent unifying theme for Germans. On one hand I do appreciate the sentiment. On the other, I think it's a bit of an overreaction that just displaying the German flag is often seen as a form of radical nationalism. Also, this bit made me laugh: > Germany [...] quite exposed geographically Yes, squeezed between Poland and Belgium? Or perhaps Czech Republic and the Netherlands? Austria and Denmark? All these scary countries around! I can promise you the Czechs aren't planning any attacks on the exposed Germany just yet :)

nisa 8y ago
> I can promise you the Czechs aren't planning any attacks on the exposed Germany just yet :) děkuju moc! And greetings from germany :) Czech is a wonderful language by the way. It's sad there is so little interest for your country in Germany. As for the flag: I doubt it's a such a big deal. It's unpopular in educated circles to some degree but I'm worried quite more about all the people using the Imperial War Flag to demonstrate their disdain for modern democracy.
lqet 8y ago
> In my experience as a Czech, the guilt over WWII and the holocaust is the recurrent unifying theme for Germans. This is 100% true, and as the number of people who experienced WWII and the holocaust is rapidly declining, the German political elite is on a desperate search for another national identity. I fear that if they are not successful, we will see strong separatist movements in some areas of Germany during the next 10-30 years. > Yes, squeezed between Poland and Belgium? Or perhaps Czech Republic and the Netherlands? Austria and Denmark? All these scary countries around! I meant that Germany has almost no natural borders, except the Alps, the Rhine and a tiny amount of coast. I can assure you that this is extremely present in the German mindset, and has been for centuries. It may explain the general "nervousness" of Germans, and is also one of the reasons the refugee crisis had such a significant impact on German politics. It is true that we are surrounded by friends, but the part you find laughable - the small military power of most of our neighboring nations, with the exception of France - is at the same time the main reason Germany has to be nervous. If somebody wanted to invade us, they would just walk over the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic, or Switzerland. I am 31. When I was 2, half of Germany was still de facto occupied by Russia.
- tasuki 8y ago
  > If somebody wanted to invade [Germany], they would just walk over the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic See, this is the part I find worrying! :)