German Strategic Culture Since the Zeitenwende (with Heiko Biehl)

Since WWII, the relationship between American and German strategic culture has been deeply intertwined. However, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine was an external shock that fundamentally altered aspects of Germany's strategic culture, while leaving others untouched. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Heiko Biehl, head of the research department at the Center for Military History and Social Sciences at the Bundeswehr in Potsdam, to discuss the shift in Germany's strategic culture over the last year and a half. To what extent has Germany's relationship with the US and NATO—at the expense of its relationship with France—become more relevant since the war? Is German strategic culture at risk of changing again with the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House? What are German attitudes towards the use of hard power? Is the country willing to engage militarily with Russia?Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front's bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here.