Germany is becoming a great military power again and parts of Europe are nervous – The i Paper

Germany is becoming a great military power again and parts of Europe are nervous  The i Paper

Berlin may be entering a new era of dominance as it casts off old restraints Germany is forging a path to becoming a great military power once more, but its rise is dividing Europe. While some have welcomed its growth at a time of heightened threats from Russia and doubts over US commitment to Nato, others have raised fears around competition and the recent advance of the far-right Alternative for Germany Party (AfD). A military strategy document released by Berlin in April set out its ambitions to build the “strongest conventional army in Europe” backed by lavish spending, a sweeping recruitment drive and cutting-edge military technology. Germany can now produce more ammunition than the US, according to the CEO of defence firm Rheinmetall, which opened the largest ammunition plant in Europe in Lower Saxony last September.

Berlin’s long period of strategic restraint after the Second World War is dead, replaced by the Zeitenwende (historic turning point) that was announced by former chancellor Olaf Scholz three days after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. In her new book, Germany Rearmed, Dr Liana Fix of the Council on Foreign Relations think-tank, wrote that the momentous shift marked “the long-awaited return of Germany as a military power … If Germany stays the course, it can reasonably be expected to become a great military