Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the German government has been criticized for its “dualism in dealing with Kyiv and Moscow”, although Germany has defended itself on more than one occasion.
Academic historian, Christopher Clark, said that “there is no similarity between 1914 (World War I) and the situation in Ukraine now,” describing the comparison as “illogical,” according toThe Guardian” British.
Clark is the author book “The Sleepwalkers.. How Europe Went to War in 1914”, which is considered one of the best-selling books in the world after its publication in 2013.
The study, which was later turned into a book, describes how the great European powers slipped into World War I in 1914.
German predicament
The book was very popular in Germany, and its echoes appeared among German politicians, and the former German chancellor, Angela Merkel, urged her ministers to read the book.
In 2014, the late German chancellor, Helmut Schmidt, compared the parallels between 1914 and the Ukraine crisis in his recent article in the newspaper “Die Zeit“.
In recent weeks, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has cited Clark’s book on “how irresponsible politicians push each other into a conflict that has not been in their interest” through aggressive rhetoric.
Schulz said at a meeting with the ruling coalition committee at the end of April that he would not be the chancellor who would accidentally let Germany slip into war.
But Clarke points out that “the First World War began in a complex way,” while in the case of the invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and this year it is quite clear that the peace was broken by only one power.
He explained that there are fundamental differences in the two cases, such as the division of Europe into two major alliances in the First World War, while Russia became in the Ukraine war “largely isolated”, according to the Guardian.
Germany is hosting the summit of the leaders of the Group of Seven countries, at a time when the world is experiencing a crisis, starting with the war in Ukraine, through the climate, and ending with food security, according to “AFP”.
According to “Washington PostDuring the summit, Schultz is trying to prove himself as a “leader”, after accusations against him since taking office.
His first six months in office came during the most turbulent period in European history since World War II, and he was criticized for being “not up to the job,” according to the Washington Post.
Shultz took a confused and hesitant stance as the war in Ukraine broke out, and faced criticism for his slowness in providing promised military support to Kiev, according to the Washington Post.
But Clarke, who was knighted by the Queen in 2015 for his services to Anglo-German relations, expressed some sympathy for Schulz’s predicament.
Historic split
Clarke said frustration with German prevarication is not a new phenomenon, pointing to a “historic divide” in Germany between “committing to an alliance with France and Britain” and not angering the Russians.
When there is an external threat, most political systems will coalesce around one position, but that does not happen in Germany, which is divided by disagreement over the position on Russia, according to Clarke.
Schulz said on Monday that he would make a decision soon on whether to attend the G20 summit in Indonesia in November, if Russian President Vladimir Putin also attended.
Speaking to German television from the G7 summit that his country is hosting in the Bavarian Alps, Schulz added that it was important not to “blow up” the G20 summit, according to Archyde.com.
Earlier, Schulze’s top foreign policy aide, Jens Ploetner, called for maintaining a balance between relations with Moscow and helping Kyiv.
And he sparked a lot of controversy when he suggested that “Europe should focus more on maintaining long-term relations with Russia and less on the details of German tank shipments to Ukraine,” according to the website.politco“.
Commenting on this, Clark stressed that the German government “risks losing its credibility in Europe at a pivotal moment in history.”
Earlier, British historian John Roll warned that Clarke’s book amounted to an “acquittal” that would once again lead Germany down a wrong path.
But Clark considered these accusations a “misreading of his book,” adding, “I don’t think there is any danger now of sleepwalking, everyone is awake because Putin woke us all.”
Earlier, Ukraine was particularly critical of German military aid, and its ambassador in Berlin, Andrei Melnik, told German broadcaster NTV that he expected Schulz to deliver heavy weapons he had long promised but not yet delivered.
Schultz denied allegations that he had obstructed much-needed military support, saying that Germany was one of Ukraine’s largest military and financial backers, and that training Ukrainian soldiers to use advanced artillery systems took time, according to Archyde.com.
On June 22, Russia marked the “Day of Remembrance and Sorrow”, the day the forces of Nazi Germany under the leadership of Adolf Hitler invaded the Soviet Union in World War II.
The war between the two sides lasted 1418 days from June 22, 1941, and historians estimate that about 27 million Soviet soldiers and civilians died.