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

Avsnitt(2798)

A Royal Arrest and Global Fallout Over Epstein

A Royal Arrest and Global Fallout Over Epstein

Warning: This episode mentions suicide. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Prince Andrew, was arrested by the British police on Thursday amid widening scrutiny over his ties to the disgraced finan...

20 Feb 33min

‘Thugs’: The Moderate Democrat Railing Against ICE

‘Thugs’: The Moderate Democrat Railing Against ICE

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada is nobody’s idea of a partisan firebrand. She’s a moderate, swing-state Democrat with a résumé steeped in law enforcement — all of which makes her an unlikely ...

19 Feb 32min

Can A.I. Already Do Your Job?

Can A.I. Already Do Your Job?

“Vibecoding,” or using artificial-intelligence tools such as Claude Code to generate code for websites or apps, is the newest A.I. trend, and it could transform the software-development industry.Kevin...

18 Feb 30min

After Venezuela, Is Cuba Next?

After Venezuela, Is Cuba Next?

For more than six decades, the United States has tried to topple the regime in Cuba. After ousting President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, who was one of Cuba’s closest allies, the Trump administration...

17 Feb 31min

When A.I. Comes to Town: The Backlash Over Data Centers

When A.I. Comes to Town: The Backlash Over Data Centers

Tech companies are racing to build thousands of huge data centers to power the artificial intelligence revolution. To find the land they need, they are barreling into rural communities across the Unit...

16 Feb 30min

Boos, Rivalries and Records: Inside the 2026 Olympics

Boos, Rivalries and Records: Inside the 2026 Olympics

In this episode of “The Sunday Daily,” the host Rachel Abrams is joined by her New York Times colleagues Motoko Rich, Shawna Richer and Juliet Macur, who are all covering this year’s Olympic Games. Th...

15 Feb 43min

'The Interview': The Woman at the Center of the French Rape Trial That Shocked the World

'The Interview': The Woman at the Center of the French Rape Trial That Shocked the World

Gisèle Pelicot opens up about surviving years of secret abuse and her life today.Thoughts? Email us at theinterview@nytimes.comWatch our show on YouTube: youtube.com/@TheInterviewPodcastFor transcript...

14 Feb 1h 3min

The Government Shutdown Fight Over Immigration

The Government Shutdown Fight Over Immigration

The U.S. government this weekend is expected to find itself in yet another shutdown. This time, it is only one agency shutting down: the Department of Homeland Security.Michael Gold, a congressional r...

13 Feb 21min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

svenska-fall
aftonbladet-krim
p3-krim
rss-krimstad
fordomspodden
rss-expressen-dok
flashback-forever
motiv
aftonbladet-daily
rss-sanning-konsekvens
spar
blenda-2
rss-vad-fan-hande
olyckan-inifran
svd-ledarredaktionen
rss-krimreportrarna
rss-frandfors-horna
dagens-eko
rss-flodet
kungligt