Germany may be the largest EU state (population wise) with its largest economy, but that's no excuse for it to act like the boss and order people about (we fought a World War so we didn't have to take orders from the Germans).
Due to recent events, the British often tend to view the Germans (as well as the French) as the traditional enemy.
But for many years until the 20th Century, Germany (or Prussia), had been Britain's (or England's) ally - mainly against the French.
Since 1714, the British have had a German dynasty on the Throne - first the Hanoverians, such as George III and Victoria, and now the Windsors. The Windsors were originally the Saxe-Coburg and Gothas but, due to the fact Germany was Britain's enemy in World War I, the Royal Family changed it to Windsor in 1917. The Queen is head of the Windsor dynasty, but the German/Brit Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Saxony is the head of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He is the great-great-great grandson of Queen Victoria, and is in the line of succession to the British Throne (an interesting succession it is, too. Norway's King Harald V is 63rd in line to the British Throne).
The Germans (or Prussians as they just were then) were allies of the British (or English as they just were then) in several wars against the French. The Duke of Marlborough (an ancestor of Winston Churchill) defeated the French at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704 during the War of Spanish Succession. Marlborough's ally was the Austrian Prince Eugene.
The Germans were Britain's allies in the Seven Years War against the French. And, of course, the Germans were Britain's allies in the Napoleonic Wars, again against the French.
Traditionally, Britain and Germany have been allies, and both have been enemies of the French (the two World Wars are rare exceptions to this rule).
But when it comes to the EU, the British and Germans have (peaceful) opposing views.
The Germans are enthusiastic of the EU becoming a federal nation, a United States of Europe.
The British aren't too keen on this, preferring to keep their independence.
We can't let our German friends push us around
13th September 2009
Daily Mail
The British tend to forget about the importance of Germany, our most significant European partner. There are, of course, memories of the world wars of the 20th Century.
Relatively few British people speak German; we like to enjoy Mediterranean holidays, so we have come to know the French, Italians and Spanish.
Yet Germany is a stable Northern democracy and a major trading partner. The sale of Opel and Vauxhall, which make up the the European branch of General Motors, this week demonstrated the significance of German bargaining power.
Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has to face a close election fight at the end of the month, wanted to save German jobs. The Opel and Vauxhall sale has now been made to Canadian car-parts manufacturer Magna International, which is backed by Russian Sberbank.
Magna has given an assurance that it will not close any of Opel's four German plants. In Britain, by contrast, Ministers are now urgently seeking talks with Magna to try to protect as many jobs as possible at the Vauxhall plants in Luton and Ellesmere Port.
The German elections may reflect shifts in European public opinion in favour of smaller parties. Chancellor Merkel's party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), is rather similar to the Tory Party; both are moderate, centrist parties. Until a few weeks ago, polls suggested the CDU, including its Bavarian partner the Christian Social Union (CSU), would win enough votes to form a coalition with the German equivalent of the Liberals, the Free Democratic party (FDP).
At present, a CDU and FDP coalition would receive 49 per cent of the vote. The other large party is the Social Democratic Party (SPD), roughly the equivalent of the Labour Party. The SPD has only 21 per cent in the polls, and 30 per cent of the votes would go to other parties. There is still a probability that Merkel and the FDP will win the election, but it looks less of a certainty.
The English and Prussians (and several other German states) were allies at the 1704 Battle of Blenheim, when the Duke of Marlborough (an ancestor of Winston Churchill) defeated the French. The English and Prussians (later the British and Germans) have traditionally been allies, such as during the War of Spanish Succession, the Seven Years War and the Napoleonic Wars (all against the French), with the exception of the two World Wars
In the European elections this year, there were similar trends in Britain: the Conservatives were ahead, but the smaller parties were thriving.
Historically, Britain and Germany have had a more significant relationship than many British - or German --people realise. Since 1714, we have had a German dynasty on the British throne. The House of Windsor is the successor to the House of Hanover.
What people do not realise is that Britain's German or Austrian alliances in the 18th Century were essential to the creation of the British Empire. Our Germanic links on the Continent allowed Britain to defeat France in colonial wars. One can see this record in wars that were decisive.
During the reign of Louis XIV, one of our greatest generals, the Duke of Marlborough, fought the famous Battle of Blenheim (1704) and defeated the French. His ally was Prince Eugene, who was born in Paris but had become an Austrian general leading an Austrian army.
In 1756, at the beginning of the Seven Years' War, Britain signed a treaty with Prussian emperor Frederick the Great. While Britain won a series of campaigns against the French in Canada, India and the West Indies, Frederick defeated the French in Europe. If the French had been free to move their troops to fight the British outside Europe, our empire might have been stillborn.
In 1815, another of our greatest generals, the Duke of Wellington, defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, with the decisive aid of the Prussian general Prince Blucher, who was nicknamed 'Marshal Forward'.
Without these German alliances, the British might have lost Blenheim, lost the Seven Years' War and lost Waterloo. France would have gained the major European empire of the 18th and 19th Centuries, and the Americans might be talking French in Washington.
The British know more about their recent history than about the longer patterns of events that have created modern conditions. If one looks back over the centuries, British and German relations have been compatible until the 20th Century, in which the two countries fought two world wars.
The record before 1900, or since 1945, shows Britain and Germany have normally been able to avoid conflict.
It is now 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall led to the reunification of Germany. Documents that have just been released show how Margaret Thatcher and the French President, Francois Mitterrand reacted to those events.
Both of them started out opposing the reunification of Germany - though Mitterrand was the quicker to recover when it did happen. They should always have understood that reunification was bound to happen whenever the Soviet Union ceased to have the power to prevent it.
There is one issue on which Britain and Germany have a fundamental cultural disagreement; that is the European Union constitution. The difference has been exposed by the Lisbon Treaty.
Most Germans see the European Constitution as that of a bureaucratic state justified in terms of the philosophy of Georg Hegel, who believed the group, that is the state, was more important than the individual. The British, on the other hand, see Europe as a liberal democratic alliance, which can be described in terms of John Locke and America's Declaration of Independence.
Germany not only wants, but largely assumes that Europe must have, a federal constitution; the British oppose that, and in any referendum would vote against a federal European state with centralised power.
Germany has the advantage of the strongest economy in Europe, yet the EU faces an urgent need for reconstruction after the banking panic of 2008. There is so much work to do that Europe should avoid unnecessary quarrels: Germany is essential to recovery.
Yet one fact poisons Anglo-European relations. The British people have not been allowed a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Nor, of course, were the Germans.
Britain will not be bound by treaties to which the British have not given assent.
dailymail.co.uk
Due to recent events, the British often tend to view the Germans (as well as the French) as the traditional enemy.
But for many years until the 20th Century, Germany (or Prussia), had been Britain's (or England's) ally - mainly against the French.
Since 1714, the British have had a German dynasty on the Throne - first the Hanoverians, such as George III and Victoria, and now the Windsors. The Windsors were originally the Saxe-Coburg and Gothas but, due to the fact Germany was Britain's enemy in World War I, the Royal Family changed it to Windsor in 1917. The Queen is head of the Windsor dynasty, but the German/Brit Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Saxony is the head of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He is the great-great-great grandson of Queen Victoria, and is in the line of succession to the British Throne (an interesting succession it is, too. Norway's King Harald V is 63rd in line to the British Throne).
The Germans (or Prussians as they just were then) were allies of the British (or English as they just were then) in several wars against the French. The Duke of Marlborough (an ancestor of Winston Churchill) defeated the French at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704 during the War of Spanish Succession. Marlborough's ally was the Austrian Prince Eugene.
The Germans were Britain's allies in the Seven Years War against the French. And, of course, the Germans were Britain's allies in the Napoleonic Wars, again against the French.
Traditionally, Britain and Germany have been allies, and both have been enemies of the French (the two World Wars are rare exceptions to this rule).
But when it comes to the EU, the British and Germans have (peaceful) opposing views.
The Germans are enthusiastic of the EU becoming a federal nation, a United States of Europe.
The British aren't too keen on this, preferring to keep their independence.
We can't let our German friends push us around
13th September 2009
Daily Mail
The British tend to forget about the importance of Germany, our most significant European partner. There are, of course, memories of the world wars of the 20th Century.
Relatively few British people speak German; we like to enjoy Mediterranean holidays, so we have come to know the French, Italians and Spanish.
Yet Germany is a stable Northern democracy and a major trading partner. The sale of Opel and Vauxhall, which make up the the European branch of General Motors, this week demonstrated the significance of German bargaining power.
Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has to face a close election fight at the end of the month, wanted to save German jobs. The Opel and Vauxhall sale has now been made to Canadian car-parts manufacturer Magna International, which is backed by Russian Sberbank.
Magna has given an assurance that it will not close any of Opel's four German plants. In Britain, by contrast, Ministers are now urgently seeking talks with Magna to try to protect as many jobs as possible at the Vauxhall plants in Luton and Ellesmere Port.
The German elections may reflect shifts in European public opinion in favour of smaller parties. Chancellor Merkel's party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), is rather similar to the Tory Party; both are moderate, centrist parties. Until a few weeks ago, polls suggested the CDU, including its Bavarian partner the Christian Social Union (CSU), would win enough votes to form a coalition with the German equivalent of the Liberals, the Free Democratic party (FDP).
At present, a CDU and FDP coalition would receive 49 per cent of the vote. The other large party is the Social Democratic Party (SPD), roughly the equivalent of the Labour Party. The SPD has only 21 per cent in the polls, and 30 per cent of the votes would go to other parties. There is still a probability that Merkel and the FDP will win the election, but it looks less of a certainty.
The English and Prussians (and several other German states) were allies at the 1704 Battle of Blenheim, when the Duke of Marlborough (an ancestor of Winston Churchill) defeated the French. The English and Prussians (later the British and Germans) have traditionally been allies, such as during the War of Spanish Succession, the Seven Years War and the Napoleonic Wars (all against the French), with the exception of the two World Wars
In the European elections this year, there were similar trends in Britain: the Conservatives were ahead, but the smaller parties were thriving.
Historically, Britain and Germany have had a more significant relationship than many British - or German --people realise. Since 1714, we have had a German dynasty on the British throne. The House of Windsor is the successor to the House of Hanover.
What people do not realise is that Britain's German or Austrian alliances in the 18th Century were essential to the creation of the British Empire. Our Germanic links on the Continent allowed Britain to defeat France in colonial wars. One can see this record in wars that were decisive.
During the reign of Louis XIV, one of our greatest generals, the Duke of Marlborough, fought the famous Battle of Blenheim (1704) and defeated the French. His ally was Prince Eugene, who was born in Paris but had become an Austrian general leading an Austrian army.
In 1756, at the beginning of the Seven Years' War, Britain signed a treaty with Prussian emperor Frederick the Great. While Britain won a series of campaigns against the French in Canada, India and the West Indies, Frederick defeated the French in Europe. If the French had been free to move their troops to fight the British outside Europe, our empire might have been stillborn.
In 1815, another of our greatest generals, the Duke of Wellington, defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, with the decisive aid of the Prussian general Prince Blucher, who was nicknamed 'Marshal Forward'.
Without these German alliances, the British might have lost Blenheim, lost the Seven Years' War and lost Waterloo. France would have gained the major European empire of the 18th and 19th Centuries, and the Americans might be talking French in Washington.
The British know more about their recent history than about the longer patterns of events that have created modern conditions. If one looks back over the centuries, British and German relations have been compatible until the 20th Century, in which the two countries fought two world wars.
The record before 1900, or since 1945, shows Britain and Germany have normally been able to avoid conflict.
It is now 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall led to the reunification of Germany. Documents that have just been released show how Margaret Thatcher and the French President, Francois Mitterrand reacted to those events.
Both of them started out opposing the reunification of Germany - though Mitterrand was the quicker to recover when it did happen. They should always have understood that reunification was bound to happen whenever the Soviet Union ceased to have the power to prevent it.
There is one issue on which Britain and Germany have a fundamental cultural disagreement; that is the European Union constitution. The difference has been exposed by the Lisbon Treaty.
Most Germans see the European Constitution as that of a bureaucratic state justified in terms of the philosophy of Georg Hegel, who believed the group, that is the state, was more important than the individual. The British, on the other hand, see Europe as a liberal democratic alliance, which can be described in terms of John Locke and America's Declaration of Independence.
Germany not only wants, but largely assumes that Europe must have, a federal constitution; the British oppose that, and in any referendum would vote against a federal European state with centralised power.
Germany has the advantage of the strongest economy in Europe, yet the EU faces an urgent need for reconstruction after the banking panic of 2008. There is so much work to do that Europe should avoid unnecessary quarrels: Germany is essential to recovery.
Yet one fact poisons Anglo-European relations. The British people have not been allowed a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Nor, of course, were the Germans.
Britain will not be bound by treaties to which the British have not given assent.
dailymail.co.uk
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