Germany eyes strongest EU army by 2031

DW reports that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to make the Bundeswehr the “strongest conventional army in Europe.”

With a trick, Merz eliminated the constitutional debt ceiling and now is able to spend at his pleasure for re-arming the German army – to become Europe’s most powerful conventional army.

But what helps a conventional army in view of tactical or strategically nuclear weapons?

In today’s World, a conventional army is not much of a deterrance – as little as the conquest of large territories.

Germany is building its efforts on the existence of nuclear arms with its allies, the US, UK and France.

The truth is that the US and UK should be practically considered as one nuclear power, as the UK nuclear arms technically depend on US inputs. France is a matter for itself. It is a free-standing nuclear power with a long tradition of independent nuclear policy.

In today’s constellations, Germany is not very sure that the US and UK may be at their defense unconditionally. Europe has doubts about the US and Germany shall take this very seriously. While President Macron has suggested to station nuclear bombers on German territory, it is also not a guarantee that the may be used in a conflict between Germany and any other state.

A very large German army may therefore become the potential strategic play tool for the surrounding allied nuclear power, the final step of escalation before US, UK or France would use nuclear weapons on whoever will attack Germany. Such huge German army may be used and sacrificed first,  before France, UK and the US would start a nuclear war. Somehow comparable to Ukraine, a proxy, a fully equipped NATO bulldozer run by the same powers, except that German shall pay for its future role itself.

A European rearmement can therefore only be arranged in a European common exercise, and Germany should not “become another Ukraine”. It is, furthermore, reminded about the plan of Winston Churchill and General Patton: The plan called for a massive Allied assault on 1 July 1945 by British, American, Polish and German – yes re-armed German – forces against the Red Army. The idea was to throw Polish, German and other European re-armed nations into the battle against Russia.

This was call “Plan Uthinkable” while today it was simply “Project Ukraine”.

Germans are lucky that Plan Unthinkable was not realized. Germans must make sure that Project Ukraine is terminated and that Germany will not become a strategic conventional army and, therefore, a tool for other, powerful nuclear armies. Therefore, German shall not go ahead alone and make sure to integrate with UK and French armies and be assured that their nuclear power will be deterrent and protection for Germany, unconditionally and in any situation.

It reminded that the current President Macron expressed that he will not sacrifice Paris for Kiev (will not unleash WWIII for Ukraine). Germany, therefore, must make sure that any future French President will sacrifice Paris for Berlin – otherwise the enormous effort to become Europe’s strongest army does not make any sense.