Europe’s Fate Is in Germany’s Hands Now

Sixty years ago, the sentence “Europe's fate is in Germany's hands now” would have been terrifying. The wars of the early 20th century left many Europeans with the deep conviction that German power was a bad thing for the region. Even though West Germany was a bulwark of NATO’s defense during the Cold War, the alliance was constructed in such a way as to limit Germany from getting too powerful or independent — NATO’s first secretary general is said to have declared that the purpose of the alliance was “to keep the Soviet Union out, the Americans in, and the Germans down.”