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Germany
OpinionComment
Andrei Lungu
Andrei Lungu

Opinion | As China seeks a prosperous and peaceful rise, 20th-century Germany has lessons to offer

  • After two unsuccessful world wars, Germany finally achieved its dream of European leadership by rejecting nationalistic hard power and embracing compromise
  • China can do the same in the Asia-Pacific by giving up hard power and extending cooperation, free trade and economic liberalism

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The German, Chinese and EU flags fly in Berlin, Germany, in readiness for German-Chinese bilateral government talks last year. Just as Germany sits at the centre of the EU, China could one day be the leader of a future Asian Union – if it heeds the lessons of history. Photo: EPA-EFE
Andrei Lungu
On Sunday, the world commemorated 80 years since Germany’s invasion of Poland, which kicked off World War II. It was Germany’s second attempt in just three decades to install itself as Europe’s ruler, and it left both Germany and the continent in ruins.
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Eight decades later, Europe is the world’s most peaceful and prosperous continent, integrated in a tight political and economic union. At its centre sits the undisputed leader of the European Union, Germany.

It is the EU’s economic and political driving force, the largest trading partner of almost all EU members, and German companies dominate the European market. On July 16, former German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen was elected president of the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch. A German finally leads Europe.

For Chinese leaders who are keen observers of history, no story is more important and instructive than that of 20th-century Germany. Germany and China share an essential geopolitical feature: both are, unambiguously, the leading powers of their region, yet neither is large enough to dominate its region through sheer military strength.

Modern Germany was forged through “blood and iron” under chancellor Otto von Bismarck. As Germany grew richer and more powerful at the start of the 20th century, it wanted to impose itself as the hegemon of Europe. But Germany lost the first world war because it confronted a wide coalition of enemies.

Just 20 years later, Germany was at it again, but while it was clearly the most powerful European country, it found itself incapable of defeating all its enemies, who banded together to resist the aspiring hegemon.

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