The United States of America is not one of the 27 member states of the European Union. 

 

Did you mean to say UK instead of USA?

 

Or perhaps did you mean to day NATO instead of EU?

Germany has risen again.  From a occupation zone to one of the wealthiest and most stable democratic countries.  And its territory has expanded two times since following a peaceful policy.

 

 1956  Saarland

 

 

1989 East Germany, East Berlin.  

 

 

 

 

 

I think the crux of the question is:  When the US pulls out of Europe will Germany take over the leadership role.?

 

It's doubtful: Europe is now so heavily interwoven. The whole of Europe is now one big Brillo pad investment infrastructure. Those countries are tied into each other, and dependent on each other, like never before. Europe isn't just re-invested within itself it's tied deeply into the US and the rest of the world as well. When the US went into recession so did the EU (and most everybody else).

 

In the old days of Europe each country was sovereign. It's own entity. Not so anymore. Now the borders are open and the currency is the same.

 

In military issues Germans are like everybody else. We all want our money spent on more cars, TVs, internet surfing, and medical insurance, but we don't want our money taken away to be spent on tanks (except for what is barely necessary to keep aggressors away).

 

I think the crux of the question is:  When the US pulls out of Europe will Germany take over the leadership role.?

 

It's doubtful: Europe is now so heavily interwoven. The whole of Europe is now one big Brillo pad investment infrastructure. Those countries are tied into each other, and dependent on each other, like never before. Europe isn't just re-invested within itself it's tied deeply into the US and the rest of the world as well. When the US went into recession so did the EU (and most everybody else).

 

In the old days of Europe each country was sovereign. It's own entity. Not so anymore. Now the borders are open and the currency is the same.

 

In military issues Germans are like everybody else. We all want our money spent on more cars, TVs, internet surfing, and medical insurance, but we don't want our money taken away to be spent on tanks (except for what is barely necessary to keep aggressors away).

 

They have some "issues" to work through....

link

Sorry, I'll try to copy-paste the link again so it works.  Re:  they have some issues.

 

 

 

link

last try:

 

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5277034.ece

I think the questions labours under the misconception, that there are significant circles, that want the hitlerite or imperial Germany back. The parallel to "The South arises again."

The circles that could have had an interest has not been disenfranchised to the same extend: The German industry has its place in the modern German society - a thing the slaveholding agricultural ruling class of the Confederacy did not have in post Civil War USA.

 

I don't think many outside Europe fully realises the transformation Germany has gone through since WW2. Germany has gone more than out of its way to rise the security of her apprehensive neighbours - this in the realisation, that nothing in Europe passes against German interests. Germany has a finger in every pie and everybody has a finger in Germanys pie.

Past of ineffectual military interventions, in the Balkans, and in Afghanistan and now in Atalanta, I'd say "no."  Unless, by rising again you mean drinking lots of beer, and following legalistic rules of engagement that pretty much make their forces less dangerous than the Polizei...then yes German has risen again.

 

I know Nasty German Idiot and others will be unhappy and point out that KSK (?) have been in Afghanistan, and that's all well and good, but the BULK of German forces, pretty much in the Balkans, in Afghanistan, and it seems in the Horn of Africa, are just going to sit around, and get bored, fat, and drunk...make some "shocking" Youtube videos that will get the Greens and the SDP all up in arms, or shout "Sieg Heil" at the wrong visiting Minister and spark Parliamentary outrage...in short, the vast majority of German forces will simply be an occasionally visible political symbol of the "New" Germany's place in the EU world...a world of law, conferences, and legalisms, that may or may not achieve much, but sure does sound good in a Joint Communique from Bruxelles.

 

Personally, I'm past worrying about Germany rising again...I'd kind of like Germany to simply "man up" and work, in a reasonable way towards a better world, rather than sitting around and when called on it, hiding behind phrases like, "Well would you rather have peaceful Germans or Warlike ones?"  There being a wold of difference between the US Army and the Wehrmacht and a world of difference between the Kaiser Heere, the Bundeswehr and the Wehrmacht...and that Germany can actually engage in combat and NOT be threat to everyone else.  Because basically, saying this is a "New" Germany and we don't want to be the "Old" Germany is just a cop-out, allowing Germany and Germans to do little of any substance, but feel like they're accomplishing something.  News Flash, by-and-large, you're not and if you want to achieve good in the world, you might, just MIGHT have to shoot someone...shooting someone does not make you the bad old Germany of the Drang Nach Osten, or Nacht und Nebel, or the Endlosung...it makes like any other country, in a morally defensible, but sometimes uncomfortable position.