Germany

Germany sits at the crossroads of European history: a land of fragmented principalities that produced extraordinary cultural, scientific, and industrial power before unifying late and violently in the 19th century. Its modern story is inseparable from catastrophe—imperial ambition, total war, Nazism, and genocide—followed by division, reconstruction, and an unusually deliberate confrontation with its own past. Postwar Germany rebuilt itself as a federal, export-driven democracy embedded in European integration. Reunification in 1990 restored territorial unity but exposed economic and social fractures that still shape politics today. Germany’s emphasis on rule of law, social partnership, and industrial excellence has made it Europe’s economic engine—yet its history ensures that questions of power, responsibility, and leadership remain deeply contested.

1. 1 Germany is the central economic and political anchor of the European Union, shaping fiscal, monetary, and regulatory outcomes.
2. 2 Its energy transition—accelerated by the Ukraine war—offers a live experiment in decarbonization, industrial policy, and energy security.
3. 3 Germany’s export-led model faces pressure from China competition, supply-chain realignment, and technological change.
4. 4 Debates over migration, identity, and memory continue to influence German and European politics.
5. 5 Berlin’s evolving role in defense and security marks a significant shift in postwar European power dynamics.