The Sunday Read: ‘Can Germany Be a Great Military Power Again?’
The Daily12 Maalis 2023

The Sunday Read: ‘Can Germany Be a Great Military Power Again?’

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany told Parliament that the attack was a Zeitenwende — a historic “turning point” for Europe and Germany. The risk of a large land war in Europe had previously been considered far-fetched, but recent years of Russian aggression have inspired fear in Germany and a 100-billion-euro fund to bolster its military.

In Germany, skepticism of the merits of military strength has enabled a long post-Cold War process of disarmament. As a result, it is a historic anomaly in the heart of Europe — an economic leviathan but a military minnow. Now German leaders are vowing to transform the country into a military power capable of taking responsibility for Europe’s security.

In Nienburg, a medieval town in Lower Saxony, civilians come to train for “homeland protection” units in the country’s reserves. The question is whether a hesitant German society can follow through on this paradigm shift.

“I would say, many of them lean in the direction of being pacifists,” said Anne Katrin Meister, who is training at the base in Nienburg. “But you can only be a pacifist if you have this safe, ideal world. And we don’t have such a world.”

This story was recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jaksot(2842)

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

On the last day of its term, the Supreme Court said it would take the case about the legality of President Trump’s travel ban. We discuss the path of the travel ban through the lower courts, the key r...

27 Kesä 201717min

Monday, June 26, 2017

Monday, June 26, 2017

President Trump’s promise to repeal Obamacare could come down to one issue: abortion. And how the families of people killed by undocumented immigrants have become an emotional cornerstone of another s...

26 Kesä 201719min

Friday, June 23, 2017

Friday, June 23, 2017

The secret is out. The Senate has unveiled its health care bill. And after all the waiting, what was promised to be a drastic revamp of the House bill looks a lot like the House bill. Plus: The second...

23 Kesä 201723min

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Thursday, June 22, 2017

We replay the dramatic hours at a hotel room in Chicago leading up to Travis Kalanick’s resignation as the chief executive of Uber. Plus: Part I of a two-part series on the opioid crisis ravaging Amer...

22 Kesä 201718min

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Former prisoners subjected to “enhanced interrogation” techniques developed after Sept. 11 have filed a lawsuit — not against the C.I.A., which is protected, but against two psychologists. We discuss ...

21 Kesä 201722min

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

The battle for Mosul is entering its final and most challenging phase, with Iraqi forces there engaged in the most intensive urban warfare since World War II. The Times embeds with one Iraqi unit. Gue...

20 Kesä 201721min

Monday, June 19, 2017

Monday, June 19, 2017

Why Senate leaders are crafting the most important legislation of the Trump presidency in secret. Guest: Carl Hulse, who covers Congress. For more information on today’s episode, visit http://nyti.ms/...

19 Kesä 201718min

Friday, June 16, 2017

Friday, June 16, 2017

Two closely watched trials are heading toward a verdict. We discuss the complexities of both cases. Guests: Katharine Q. Seelye, who has been covering a manslaughter case in Taunton, Mass., involving ...

16 Kesä 201721min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

uutiscast
aikalisa
politiikan-puskaradio
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
tervo-halme
viisupodi
rss-podme-livebox
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
rss-asiastudio
aihe
rss-pinnalla
otetaan-yhdet
rss-girls-finish-f1rst
rss-ulkopoditiikkaa
the-ulkopolitist
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
radio-antro
rss-mina-ukkola
rss-polikulaari-pitka-kiekko-ja-muut-ts-podcastit