Germany’s rise as a leading power in Europe and the world since the beginning of the 21st century represents a prominent aspect of the country’s economic miracle, which began with reconstruction efforts and the Marshall Plan following World War II. It transformed from a devastated and economically and militarily exhausted nation into one that serves as a fundamental engine of the European economy, playing a pivotal role in the European Union.
In his book “Out of the Darkness: The Germans 1942-2022,” published in 2024, historian Frank Trentmann presents this earlier paradox, offering a comprehensive view of Germany’s role on the global stage in the 21st century, highlighting its transitions from a defeated nation after World War II to an influential economic and political power in international affairs today.
The End of Nazi Germany:
Trentmann begins the book with what he calls the “dark days” of 1942, when Germans attempted to redefine themselves after the Battle of Stalingrad, in which Soviet forces defeated the Nazi army, marking the beginning of Germany’s retreat on the Eastern Front. This situation prompted some Germans for the first time in years to question the purpose of the war and when and where it would end. The author argues that raising such questions was a confrontation with their complicity in Nazi crimes.
Trentmann believes that the support of many Germans for the Nazis turned them into perpetrators of genocide or supporters thereof through the moral deception they experienced; they convinced themselves that they were acting according to their morals regardless of their actions. He presents the reality that this stems from the perverted value system instilled by the Nazis across all levels of national life, the distortions affecting soldiers, bureaucrats, and civilians under that regime, citing diaries and letters from ordinary citizens and soldiers to confirm that the Nazis enjoyed widespread support, even among poor Germans.
According to the book, public support for the Nazis rapidly diminished during the catastrophic years following 1942, as some Germans objected to the persecution of Jews within Germany and the numerous atrocities committed by the Nazis. However, after 1945, Germans were preoccupied with their own problems, including homelessness, hunger, and millions of German refugees expelled from former territories and Eastern Europe, a topic mentioned by citizens in their memoirs. Renate Bock, who survived the Allies’ bombing of Hamburg in May 1945, wrote: “We constantly hear about what others suffered, but no one is allowed to speak about our terrible suffering.” Many Germans during that period focused on the fate of prisoners of war, the dire housing situation in bombed German cities, food shortages, and rumors of the bloody revenge imposed by the victorious Allies.
Dealing with the Aftermath of War:
After World War II, Germany was completely devastated politically, economically, and socially. The author discusses how Germans began to confront the reality of their defeat and the destruction of their homeland. One of the most significant challenges Germany faced during that time was how to cope with the sense of guilt resulting from the crimes committed by the Nazi regime. The division of Germany into two parts after the war, one in the east under Soviet influence and the other in the west under American, British, and French influence, led to substantial repercussions.
This division captured Trentmann’s attention and prompted him to discuss how this separation had a long-lasting impact on Germany’s national identity. Overall, the paths of the two Germanies differed: in West Germany, the “economic miracle” began as the country recovered relatively quickly, while East Germany faced economic difficulties under communist rule.
On the other hand, Trentmann views the moral reckoning for Nazi crimes as not being clear in the early years following the war, with questions of guilt, responsibility, and reparations remaining contentious and controversial for years. As the author notes, the term used by Germans to describe efforts to rectify wrongs done to victims of Nazism, “Wiedergutmachung,” is ambiguous. It literally translates to “making good again,” referring to reparations, and Germans spent years discussing what form those reparations should take.
The author observes that the acknowledgment of the Holocaust and attempts at atonement did not begin in earnest until twenty years after the end of World War II. This coincided with the emergence of the first post-war generation of Germans in the late 1960s, the generation born after the war, who began to seriously confront Nazi crimes; reparations were paid to some victims, and Germany since then has become one of the largest supporters of Israel.
The Economic Miracle:
Since the mid-1950s, West Germany began adapting to the American Marshall Plan aimed at rebuilding Europe after the war. This aid significantly contributed to reviving the German economy, which benefited from a free-market system and sought to develop heavy industries like automotive, engineering, and chemicals. Cooperation within what was then known as the “European Common Market” was a key factor in this rapid economic growth, which helped strengthen West Germany’s economy and support it politically and financially.
The beginnings of economic growth coincided with cultural shifts in West Germany during the 1950s and 1960s, as Germans began to more openly acknowledge their Nazi past, reflected in social discussions about guilt and repentance. This internal struggle to balance rising from the rubble and building a future while maintaining historical awareness of the crimes committed by the Nazi regime represented one of the foremost challenges facing new generations in Germany, which were demanded to confront the past of their ancestors.
In the 1960s, a protest movement led by youth emerged in West Germany, calling for the “cleansing” of German society from the legacy of Nazism, and opposition to war became part of the youth movement that insisted on not repeating the tragedies of the past. This aligned with the human rights and civil rights movement that was expanding in the Western world at that time, making the German issue more prominent.
Trentmann discusses the efforts made by West Germany, led by Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, to correct relations with Israel, where one of the government’s priorities was to compensate Jewish victims of the Holocaust, forming part of the reconciliation process pursued by Germany after the war.
Reunification:
Trentmann believes the political transformations in Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 paved the way for the reunification of the two Germanys. This reunification required an understanding among major powers, such as the Soviet Union and the United States. Initially, the Soviet Union resisted reunification, fearing its impact on the military and political balance in Europe, while the United States supported reunification and pressured Moscow to consent.
Reunification brought numerous challenges, including the shape of the political system for a unified Germany and how to address the economic differences between capitalist West Germany and communist East Germany. According to the book, the East German economy was in ruins, with outdated and inefficient industries, lacking infrastructure, low productivity, and high unemployment, making the merging of the two economies extremely difficult, placing a heavy burden on the West German government, which was compelled to invest a significant amount of money in the reconstruction process.
Beyond economic challenges, there was a social and cultural divide between East and West Germans, with a significant gap in values and ideologies due to living under different political systems for decades. Even regarding historical identity and addressing the Nazi legacy, while West Germans began the process of confronting their Nazi past, it was more challenging for East Germans raised in a communist system to fully face this legacy.
Consequently, the reunification process raised fears among many of political and cultural polarization, with some in West Germany worried that the incorporation of East Germany might lead to internal problems and radical changes that could impact democracy and human rights in West Germany.
The Rise of Power and Status:
Trentmann notes that after reunification in 1990, Germany possessed great economic power and increased its status in the global market as one of the world’s leading economies, thanks to its industrial strength, especially in the automotive, engineering, and technology sectors, becoming one of the major economic powers globally.
In Europe, Germany plays a central role in the European Union, being the largest country in the union and leading economic and financial policies within it. It works to promote European integration by supporting trade agreements and joint financing, serving as a cornerstone of common policies in areas of trade and energy.
On another note, Berlin was among the key actors in managing crises faced by the European Union, such as the euro crisis in the early 21st century, providing strong financial support to member countries that faced financial crises like Greece. Nevertheless, Trentmann critiques Germany’s financial policies towards Greece and indebted countries during that period, arguing that it benefited from annual profits gained from Greek loans, noting that Germany’s experience during the post-war economic boom was partly supported by a massive sovereign debt relief in the 1950s, which Berlin did not provide as a donor during the eurozone crisis.
Trentmann discusses how Germany has become a key player in resolving international conflicts, including in the Middle East and Ukraine, actively participating in providing political solutions for relations between the West and Russia after the crisis in Ukraine, along with facing global terrorist threats.
He also notes that German power extends beyond economic and political aspects; it has played an important role in humanitarian issues, especially concerning refugees and human rights. Germany was one of the prominent countries receiving refugees during humanitarian crises, such as the Syrian refugee crisis in 2015, which added to its political and humanitarian impact on the international stage.
Trentmann describes this move as reflecting German principles eager to support human rights and protect refugees. However, this policy has led to significant internal political and social challenges in managing the large numbers of refugees.
In conclusion, Trentmann sees current challenges facing Germany on the global stage, such as how it addresses issues like climate change, terrorism, migration, as well as humanitarian crises and military conflicts in various parts of the world, especially geopolitical tensions like its relationship with Russia and the United States, in addition to the rising power of China as an economic and military force. This indicates that Germany needs to confront these issues and tackle the challenges that impact its role as a global power while achieving a balance between its national interests and those of the European Union in the face of emerging economic and political challenges in Europe and worldwide.
Source:
Frank Trentmann, Out of the Darkness: The Germans 1942-2022, (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2nd, 2024).
