Peace through strength is the present day mantra in America. This concept has made US Dollar a global currency and her military industrial complex as propeller of both domestic economic growth and global geoeconomics status. What Germany must do?
Let me say this as a preamble. It was Adolf Hitler, a proud German and Aryan, who declared that “mankind grows great in eternal war and decays in eternal peace”. As a predecessor of eternal war concept, Hitler explained that war should be fought in order to acquire living space known in German as Lebensraum. Hence, the Fuhrer moved fast in annexing Austria which is at that time majority German speaking nation and was once part and parcel of Austro Hungarian Empire.
Hitler’s theory was right because this Empire as a centre for arts, crafts, music, dance and other paraphernalia of elitist culture during the time of eternal peace fell into complacence and finally was defeated by Anglo-Saxons in the First World War. Hence, Hitler espoused eternal war as a binding concept such that German society must be ready to wage war to preserve a unified state and at the same time develop skills and technology befitting a modern nation.
Today America follows the same concept. Waging forever war under “peace through strength” dictum she was able to achieve the lead nation status in geoeconomics, geoeconomics and geostrategy. China on the other hand speaks for eternal peace in every international forum yet concentrates upon building a modern army, navy, air force adding one more dimension, space force to project global power.
All these have been achieved via building firstly China as a great geoeconomics power in diverse areas such as manufacturing, agro-industry, housing, transportation and human resource development. Undoubtedly, China is the largest trading power too. Yet, she is one of the notable peace makers today. A good example is how she reconciled Saudi Arabia and Iran in the Middle East.
What Germany should do under these circumstances? Follow permanent war or permanent peace or a mixture of both. Right now, Germany is seen re-arming. Boris Pistorius, German defence minister has donned the garb of path finder. He is bent upon making Bundeswehr a capable conventional force in the European theatre by 2029 that is ready for a war (Kriegstüchtig). Against whom is the question? His full plan including active-duty soldiers numbering 260,000 and reservists at 200,000 totalling 460,000 by the target year is achievable. A budgeted defence expenditure per annum starting with € 108 Billion to € 150 Billion by 2029 is also feasible.
My take
But the question that lingers is against whom Germany is going to fight and with what technology. Finally it boils down to the strategic focus. Follow the Americans or replicate the Chinese? It behoves Friedrich Merz led cabinet to combine eternal war with eternal peace in a useful format. What matters is the need to navigate strategy amid geoeconomics and craft a feasible plan for the German rearmament.
Cheers!
Muthu Ashraff Rajulu
Strategy Adviser
Mobile: + 94 777 265677
E-mail: cosmicgems@gmail.com
Blog: Strategy Adviser
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