Realistically, the best bet for Europe is to play the part of the USA in the lead-up to WW1. By remaining unaligned with either the axis or the allies until the

Realistically, the best bet for Europe is to play the part of the USA in the lead-up to WW1. By remaining unaligned with either the axis or the allies until the war was essentially decided, they came out of the conflict as the sole winners. Unfortunately, I expect that the EU will stick with the US, and get dragged into whatever that entails. I hope that the world has changed enough that total war between incumbent and upstart great powers isn't possible - but I don't really see any clear reasons why it shouldn't happen. What I hope is that China is aware of the parallels between their situation and the situation of pre-WW1 Germany, or pre-WW2 Japan, and goes a different route. If they simply wait, focus on soft power, and ignore all provocations, they'll no doubt end up taking the USA's place.