July 16, 2026
German Military Power Needs to Go It Alone
This article was originally published in Foreign Policy.
Old reflexes are stirring across Europe. When German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told the Bundestag last year that Germany must field the strongest conventional army in Europe and backed that promise with bigger defense budgets than any of the country’s neighbors could afford, the specter of German military power began to haunt Europe once more.
But those who worry about a mighty Germany going it alone need to face an uncomfortable truth: NATO needs a powerful German military backed by the continent’s biggest economy and deepest fiscal pockets.
Behind closed doors, some French and Polish officials ask whether a rearmed Germany really solves Europe’s dependence on the United States— or merely swaps one hegemon for another. Others wonder whether European NATO members are heading toward a genuinely integrated defense of their continent—or simply back to rival national armies now that the United States no longer leads.
Read the full article in Foreign Policy.
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