Over the course of the semester, you have become deeply familiar with German histories of imperialism and genocide, and with the serious public debates about democracy, dictatorship, and reconciliation that have followed acts of aggression and barbarism. Drawing on that knowledge, and on the materials provided in the Essay module along with this prompt, compose a detailed introduction to the landscape of German public opinion and the political debate about how Germany should respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Your article should be pitched towards an educated, general US-American readership.
First, do the reading:
Relying on a reputable English-language source of your choosing (e.g. Wall StreetJournal, New York Times, Guardian, or Economist), re-familiarize yourself with the rough timeline of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the collective and individual response by NATO members to the invasion, and the progress of the war.
Carefully read the Zeit’s interview with Olaf Scholz March 25th, 2022,taking note of how Scholz frames the question of German involvement in military conflicts, the risk of nuclear war, and the place of diplomacy after a conflict has begun.
Carefully read the economic and intellectual historian Adam Tooze’s essay on the debate among German intellectuals, published in mid-May, 2022, taking note of how Tooze’s profile of Jürgen Habermas connects this philosopher’s views to past moments in German political history.
Following Tooze’s lead (as he quotes it in his article), look at the open letter to Olaf Scholz from a range of German intellectuals, published May 3rd, 2022, noting the problems they see with German involvement in the war, and the recommendations they make for Scholz’s policy moving forward.
Finally, read the extensive article in the Spiegel, published June 6th, 2022, and map out the different views expressed within the German political parties about the correct steps to take in response to this conflict.
Next, do the writing. In order to receive full points for this assignment, you will need to provide a comprehensive presentation of German actions and sentiments about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, quoting relevant experts and politicians and contextualizing recent events with respect to the broader historical context. Your reader should walk away from your article informed about where Germany stands (officially) on the question of the war in Ukraine, and they should understand how Germany’s past (and the process of coming to terms with that past) has affected both public discussion and official policy.
