Germany

Robert Schulz

POL 250

Research Questions 2 & 3

2) Which other nations and groups seem to be your most important “friends”, “enemies”? Why?

The end of the Cold War and the unification of Germany ended communism and political repression in Germany as well as Eastern Europe and Russia. German foreign policy is a peace policy. Along those lines, Germany has no true enemies anymore as it once did in Russia. However, Germany is not a superpower, and must rely on help from the west.

Germany’s number one ally is the United States. They depend heavily on protection from the U.S. Germany does have its own military, but it is mostly tied into NATO. Also, having a democratic government, Germany and the U.S. share similar interests, and the U.S. often expects Germany’s support in several situations. For example, the U.S. once gave German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and foreign minister Joschka Fischer fifteen minutes to decide if it would support the U.S. in threatening Serbia. Although it is not in the interest of German foreign policy to take offensive action, Schröder and Fischer reluctantly elected to support the U.S. They realize how critical it is for Germany to maintain the relationship it has with the United States.

“We have worked hand in hand for more than half a century. Reconciliation has been completed. What Germany and France have experienced and suffered in the course of their histories has no parallel. Only they can move Europe forward, be it in realizing its goals, expanding its borders or anchoring it in people’s hearts.”

-French President Jacques Chirac speaking to the German Bundestag on June 27, 2000, in Berlin.

President Chirac’s visit to Berlin in June of 2000 was the first by a French president since German unification. It signified a high point in Franco-German relations in recent times. Not only are France and Germany getting along on a governmental level, it seems that the German public is also beginning to open up to the once-hated French. In May and June of 2000, EMNID conducted a survey among German citizens to get their feelings on the French. The results were somewhat surprising in that they were mostly positive. For example, 81% of those surveyed feel that the French are warm-hearted, and 67% of the respondents feel that France is making a large contribution in helping Europe expand. However, only 17.5% of those surveyed think that the French are “cool”. Many in France are worried, though, that when it comes time to choose between the U.S. and France, Germany will side with the U.S.

German relations with Russia have improved greatly since reunification and the fall of communism. German-Russian Consultations took place in June of 2000, and leaders of both countries feel that much progress was made. Chancellor ì¥Á7

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Robert Schulz

POL 250

Research Questions 2 & 3

2) Which other nations and groups seem to be your most important “friends”, “enemies”? Why?

Germany’s number one ally is the United States. They depend heavily on protection from the U.S. Germany does have its own military, but it is mostly tied into NATO. Also, having a democratic government, Germany and the U.S. share similar interests, and the U.S. often expects Germany’s support in several situations. For example, the U.S. once gave German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and foreign minister Joschka Fischer fifteen minutes to decide if it would support the U.S. in threatening Serbia. Although it is not in ny should rely on the OSCE for security. Of course, the other players to be considered in security matters are NATO and now the EU. To add to that, all recent “measures proposed to strengthen the OSCE are nonmilitary in character.” (Otte, 202) Currently, it is unclear which direction the relationship between Germany and the OSCE is going.

3) To what extent do the five domestic variables affect the foreign policies of your country? To what extent do these domestic variables help in understanding the manner in which domestic problems in you nation are or are not having an effect on you foreign policy objectives and interests?

The systemic variable plays are very large role in shaping German foreign policy. Germany is located in the center of Europe and is bordered by nine other countries. It is the center of trade between the Mediterranean Sea and the Scandinavian countries as well as the bridge between Eastern and Western Europe. This geographical location is one of the reasons Germany is the strongest industrial and trading nation on the European continent. With the fall of the Iron Curtain, Germany’s political role toward Eastern European countries is more important than ever because they provide leadership and an example to these countries with new democracies.

The societal variable is also important in determining Germany’s foreign policy. Since unification, German citizens don’t want the past to repeat itself. They want to safeguard themselves from future political repression (as well as external danger). However, according to political scientist Christian Hacke, German people think of themselves on an island, and don’t really concern themselves with foreign policy issues. They are much more concerned with domestic issues. This negligence is harmful to the political culture of Germany, including the relationship between the government and the people. At the same time, the German government has not really alerted the people of the risks of expanding its foreign policy interests.

The president of Germany, Johannes Rau, is simply a figurehead. The primary decision-maker in the German government is the chancellor, Gerhard Schröder. He was born April 7, 1944, and his father was killed in action in Romania shortly after his birth. That left his mother to raise Gerhard and his four siblings in very poor conditions. They could not afford to send Gerhard to school. Eventually, he took control of his life. He went to night school and received what is equivalent to a G.E.D in the U.S., joined the SPD, and got a commercial apprenticeship. Eventually he went to law school and worked construction in order to pay for it. He entered the Bundestag in 1980, and thus began his successful political career. The fact that Gerhard grew up in poverty and worked his way up shows his intense desire and work ethic. His past gives him credibility, especially with the German people. Given the fact that he was born at the very end of World War II and did not really experience it first-hand (other than his father dying when he was an infant), it is understandable why Gerhard is pushing the German government to carry less emotional baggage in its decision-making. He is leading a new Germany that is heading in a different direction, and while the past will never be forgotten, he believes (along with foreign minister Joschka Fischer) that Germany should move on.

The current German government is a coalition government with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Green Party. Chancellor Gerhard Schröder is an SPD reformist, Green Party member Joschka Fischer is foreign minister, SPD centrist Rudolf Scharping is defense minister, and SPD leftist Oskar Lafontaine is finance minister. Because of the coalition, decision-making in the German government is geared toward the interests of the two parties involved.

Daniela Castro: Economic Advisor

Research Paper

International Politics

Research Question #4

German Economy

The desire and the need for a peaceful, democratic and a better off country have placed Germany in a stable position in Europe. Germany’s foreign policy has been an extreme leading pathway to a prosperous market that carries a wide variety of resources and a strong manageable economy. Since, Germany has been increasingly free and been acting as a normal sovereign nation-state. At the same time, it has become clear that globalization and its interdependence status has been also a dark side for Germany.

In 1986 European leaders took another large step up the integration ladder by adopting the Single European Act, an amendment to the Treaty of Rome. The goal was a true common market, and the EU largely achieved it by 1992. The Single Act removed remaining restrictions to movement in four categories: goods (primarily non-tariff barriers, such as the quality requirements that kept almost all foreign beer out of Germany), services (such as barriers to the opening of bank branches across borders), labor (such as country-specific professional requirements for doctors and lawyers), and capital (such as currency exchange controls), (Hughes, 217).

However, developments have made it possible to move into goods/open economy, open society and a progressive financial status. Perhaps, Germany without the social market economy (resources) would no have the existing economic integration. The range of resources that Germany has available to help pursue its foreign policy objectives varies from different sectors of economy. It is proven that, “The Federal Republic of Germany is one of the major industrial countries. In terms of overall economic performance it is the third largest, and with regard to world trade it hold second place” (web cite). This is why Germany has a well-functioning sector market developments which it encourages the nation to produce and improve their economic system. Starting with the first and primary sector of the German economy is Industry. Germany’s branches of industry are automobiles, mechanical engineering, chemicals, electrical engineering, electronics and aerospace.

The second sector of economy is Commerce, “the Commercial sector in Germany accounts for about nine percent of gross value added” (web cite). There are two kinds if commercial trades that help Germany increase the commercial enterprises. One kind is the wholesale trade, “sell commercial goods to manufacturers or foreign markets to retailers, processors or users. They buy large quantities of goods and sell them in smaller amounts” (web cite). The second kind is the retail trade, which “has undergone a profound structural change in recent decades. Conversely, foreign competitors such as the U.S. Corporation Wal-Mart or the French retail group Intermarche are claiming a share of the German market” (web cite). Commerce plays a big role in the German economic world.

Energy is the third sector of economy that Germany has, even though they have a short management in raw materials and energy is largely dependent upon imports. “Two thirds of its primary energy must be purchased from other countries. Its’ dependence on mineral from abroad is also considerable. For this reason, Germany has long since diversified its sources of energy and raw materials in order to ensure sufficient interrupted supplies” (web cite). However, Germany dependence on resources outside, are mainly on exports and imports. In 1994, the export estimated rate was $437.0 billion dollars. The commodities consisted of:

“Manufactures 89.3% (including machines and machine tools, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel products), agricultural products 5.5%, raw materials 2.7%, fuel 1.3% (1993)” (web cite). On the other hand, the imports estimated rate in 1994 was $362 billion, the commodities in this case were the same and also with the same percentages. The partners in the exports were: “EC 46.4%(France 11.3%, Netherlands 7.4%, Italy 7.5%, UK 7.7%, Belgium and Luxembourg 6.6%), EFTA 15.5%, US 7.7%, Eastern Europe 5.2%, OPEC 3.0% (1993)”(web cite). The partners for the imports were the same countries, and a variation of approximately 1-% in some of the percentages.

However, Germany is one of the worlds' largest of energy consumption. Like the other sectors of the Germany economy, agriculture, forestry, and fishery are a big part of this extremely balanced economy.

In the pace of the agriculture market, “Germany’s major agricultural products are milk, pork, grains, and sugar beets. In some regions wine, fruits and vegetables, and other horticultural products play an important role” (web cite). And last but not least the German military, even though Germany has no big history and of developing an outstanding military, is still quite interesting because, Germany outreaches many defense forces, for example: their branches are, (Army, Navy-includes Naval air arm, Air force, Border Police, and Coast guards). Perhaps, there are only half of million individuals (manpower) that form the military. However, Germany imports and exchanges many different armaments to other countries, in 1995 the estimated exchange rate was forty billion dollars, which in part gave Germany a well-balanced economic profit. Now, what is quite interesting is that in the power rankings of the world, Germany is on the seventh place in the military spending and on the seventeenth place in the armed forces’ category (the rankings are out of twenty places).

Overall, the path way into Germany’s economic role and its pursue for a well-developed and a successful foreign policy sector. The economy in Germany has a big role to play, by being a sovereign nation-state, Germany has worked its way up to build a consumer based market economy that will help create an economic sector to help the industrial progress into a global market system.

The system develops direct investments and advancements. Germany pursues their foreign policy goals to increase the economic development and prosperity to portray the image that if they are a wealthy nation-state, Germany will also be a strong country.

Tom Reiner

Political Science 250

Professor Volgy

Research Questions 5 & 6

“The future of Europe appears largely to depend today once again, for good or evil, whether we like it or not, as it did for many centuries, on the future of Germany.” -Italian journalist Luigi Barzini, 1983.

The existence of a unified German nation has been an important issue for Europe in the last two centuries. Germany’s economic and military might greatly influenced events in Europe and still do today with the recent reunification of western and eastern Germany. Yet underneath these economic and military issues lie much deeper themes of nationalism and ideology. These forces strongly influenced past events, and continue to do so today, as the search for a stable nationhood and national identity within the European context remains a critical part of the German experience in face of a possible future transition from a sovereign nation to an element in a unified Europe.

Nationalism and the German state

Nationalism is presently a moderately powerful force within present-day Germany, sparked by the need to integrate East Germany into the traditional West German system. The future direction of Germany, however, appears to be an abandonment of the traditional sense of nationalism in favor of a German identity within a unified European context. A complete understanding of the role of nationalism in Germany must include knowledge of Germany’s recent past.

Modern Germany first came into existence following the unification of disparate Germanic kingdoms in 1871. This relatively late emergence in comparison with other western European nations resulted in a nation with a poorly defined identity. A search for this identity sparked rampant nationalism, which exploded in the world wars of the 20^th Century. The final defeat of Nazi Germany and the partitioning of the German state ushered in a new era of nationalistic thinking.

The defeat of the National Socialists and the occupation of Germany created a nation split between two world powers and largely dependent upon outside sources. The legacy of defeat in two world wars and the horrors of the Holocaust resulted in a wholesale abandonment and vilification of many nationalistic ideals. Nationalism became inexorably tied with the extremes of National Socialism, defined as an ideology antithetical to democracy and a healthy national consciousness. Consequently nationalism became a taboo subject.

The reunification of western and eastern Germany in 1989, however, raised the issue of nationalism once more. West Germany’s integration of the eastern half at great economic expense demonstrated how important the concept of ‘Germany’ was. A strong, unified Germany was bound to emerge upon the European stage, and the question arose how one could define the country while avoiding the pitfalls of past nationalism. The collective guilt of the nation from the legacy of the Second World War began to be questioned, for “the stigma of Auschwitz should not be a burden for the normal, new German state”. (Otte, 198) The development of a renewed sense of nationalism accompanied the rise of the unified Germany, as explained by Saul Friedlander:

With this unified Germany, it is easy now for a German to identify emotionally. The Federal Republic [the former West Germany] wished to be sterile; the unified Germany cannot be sterile. The unification reunites the Germans not only with the eastern parts of their country, but with their national myths. (Wood, 94)

The shape of the new German nationalism became an important issue, and speculation arose that Germany would create a new, ‘post-national’ state focused primarily upon the larger world community. German author Guenther Grass advanced a model of two German states defined by a common nation, while others called for “merging German culture, society, and economy under a European roof” (Wood, 97) However, after 10 years of unity Germany still has many motives and characteristics of the classic nation-state with an active role in the international scene. According to Anthony Glees, “an element of residual submissiveness towards the international community” is not “post-nationalism”, “but simply a current definition of Germany’s national interest.” (Wood, 97) “Constitutional Patriotism” was the buzzword summarizing this approach of the early 90s that directed nationalistic feelings towards an objective governmental ideal. (Wood, 103)

Germany’s future direction, however, is more complicated within the European framework. The traditional nation-state ideal has been steadily de-emphasized with calls for European unity, for nation-states are “no longer capable of solving on their own the existential problems of our age”, and Germany is presently searching for a new identity in the cultural roots preceding the Wilhelmine era, while maintaining a focus upon the concept of a future “European Germany.” (Wood, 116) However, a true unified Europe in which national identities dissolve is still in the distant future, for present political processes and identity remain tied within the operations of the traditional concept of the sovereign European nation-state.

Ideology and the German state

Ideology is presently an issue of minor importance in Germany due to its mild emphasis upon nationalism following reunification and its prosperity under the current social and economic order. The international system and not ideology is the primary determinant of German foreign policy, for German actions are presently based upon established power structures and a clear idea of national issues, all of which largely support the maintenance of the status quo.

However the increasing focus upon European unity and Germany’s role as a leader advocating European integration suggests a future importance of ideology within a context of dissolving nationalism as European nations begin acceding sovereignty to a central European government. An ideology formulates a set of beliefs about an ideal society and presents a blueprint directing the world to reach those goals. Inherent within this system is the assumption that the group is unsatisfied with the current world order. Germany is an extremely successful nation within the current European economic framework. It possesses the largest economy of all European nations and is greatly advanced in science and technology. Therefore it is difficult to establish exactly where Germany lies in the issue of advancing an ideology of a militarily and politically unified Europe. Germany has much to lose from promoting this message in terms of a possible loss of American support in the immediate future. However, the long-term advantages of consolidating European economic might into one entity may lead to an increasing irrelevance of American power in the context of a stronger Europe. If the opportunity presents itself, the advantages of supporting such a shift in the world order may bring about an increased German emphasis on the ideology of a unified Europe.

Organizations, Alliances, and Germany

Germany is an active player on the world scene and is involved in all key organizations as one of the most powerful 1^st World nations. Its actions through these groups reflect the German national interest, a “peaceful, democratic, solidaric world” through the advancement of three key security priorities: the maintenance of an American defensive shield through NATO, the continuation of the European Union for economic stability and security, the development of stable governments in the East, and improving relations with the 3^rd World. The primary organizations through which Germany acts to reach these ends are NATO, the European Union, the United Nations, and the World Trade Organization.

NATO

German involvement within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has historically developed from issues of the Cold War, including the security offered through this organization against eastern aggression. In the present context of the development of the European Union, NATO will continue to play a strong role. As Europe strives towards unification and the spread of democracy in Eastern Europe, American defensive capabilities and commitment will remain critical and an important part of internal stability. This was demonstrated by the operations in Kosovo. As Europe strengthens and heads towards a policy of mutual defense, Germany aims for a stronger European role in NATO as the members evolve from allies in the Cold War to allies in shaping the process of globalization.

European Union

German involvement is critical in the development of the European Union (EU) as a functional, unified governmental organization. Germany is a supporter of increased autonomy for the EU and increased investment in its power structures at the expense of national sovereignty. It advocates the expansion of the EU to eastern European nations for political and economic opportunities, including larger markets and political stability. As the EU enlarges, however, the present loose confederation of members will be unable to accommodate the increased pressures. Therefore Germany supports the development of a European Security and Defense Policy, a Charter of Fundamental Rights, and a future European Constitution. The German vision for the EU includes an organization with a common currency and a common foreign and security policy.

United Nations

The United Nations (UN) is important to German global policy. According to German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, “German participation in achieving the goals of the UN is a policy priority for the Federal Government” (Speech, September 4 2000) The UN is a critically important tool to maintain peace and stability beyond Germany’s borders, as it is the only international organization that offers the requisite scope to address these and other issues. A primary issue for Germany involves its role in the United Nations, for it advocates its addition as a member to the Security Council as a reflection of its increasing importance on the European and international scene.

WTO

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is important to Germany as an organization that promotes Germany’s role as a nation reliant upon the flow of international goods and services. Germany introduced the Cologne Debt Initiative, which links debt relief with a strategy to alleviate poverty in the 3^rd World. Germany views the WTO as a key organization in the process of addressing poverty in developing countries, a primary issue in relations between the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.