I still don't understand how the Germans, who have lived under over forty years of republican rule would reintroduce the monarchy.
A powerless, purely symbolic monarchy, appointed by a legislature the citizens of Germany elect, which in turn handles the business of government while the monarch sits there and looks pretty.
Why would you want that symbol though? The history of monarchy in Germany is absolutist. This is an opinion which may look good to someone from Britain, but not someone from a country who had their own autocratic monarchs not so far back.
They're being given a national symbol with links to a time in Germany's past when they were powerful but not fascist, but by making the monarch a mere figurehead, they show their commitment to democracy and the future.
@Nyvis: How much longer are you gonna harp on this?
Yeah, but it's not like it's gonna change the author's mind.Genuine concern is not the same thing as harping. So far he has given sufficient evidence on how Germans would not like monarchy
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That's what Frey is saying, seeking a negotiated settlement with the Polish people, whom he sees as the victims of both Hitler and Stalin. The military spending is an obvious reaction to the December Coup, which every NATO nation has been doing and mirrors a plan put together by the SPD government only larger.Look, I get the argument you are trying to make here.
The problem is that it is not tenable in the current political environment outside of West Germany. You already have established that it took quite the effort on the part of Frey to convince their allies that they were not National Socialists under a different banner, and that there still remains a measure of skepticism in some quarters on this front. Shortly after having made these gains they then issue a declaration on the issue of their eastern border which, while admittedly being a return to the norm in some respects from twenty years prior under the CDU, would come across as an overtly belligerent move on Frey's part. It would provide ammunition to his worst critics, and I can't imagine they would have to look far for those within the Liberty Party who continue to advocate for a return to the Pre-Versaille borders (as such voices did and almost certainly here would exist). It may not have been Frey's intention, but it would serve as a validation of all those who remain paranoid about Germany "being on the march again", especially when combined with the increased military spending of the Liberty government; it's a public relations disaster.
Hence why I've argue for a softer position, vis-a-vis "We seek a return of the eastern border between the German and Polish nations as existed before our nation fell to despotism, and we seek to negotiate a settlement between our two nations that will amicably resolve the status of the eastern territories to the benefit of both Germany and Poland, and a Treaty to confirm the resulting borders of those negotiations in perpetuity."
At least in that case there would be no alarm on the part of the West (among the main leadership anyway, skeptics aside), and Frey would have the same leeway he would otherwise.
Italy was never the victim of any ethnic cleansing, so they don't see the need to make any demands such as these. And while the French don't see the new German government as a threat, there will be a rift that I will explore further after the end of the Cold War.If Germany annexes parts of Poland and Kaliningrad concessions wouldn't just be made to Poland in terms of territory
France would want some territory out of this to preserve the balance of power in Europe and other countries like Italy (which is under freyist governance last I checked) would demand "historic territory" like Dalmatia and then Europe would devolve into a quagmire of land claims.
Also I don't know what you mean by "maybe the Germans know something we don't " but unless it's "600 thousand Russians reveal they were German the whole time in some m night Shyamalan super secret plot twisf" then it ain't gonna happen. There were fewer than 10 thousand Germans there at the time according to the census data from Wikipedia.
Annexing any part of Poland or Kaliningrad would cause a rift so great between France and Germany that not even a mutual hatred of the Soviets could offset it.
Italy was never the victim of any ethnic cleansing, so they don't see the need to make any demands such as these. And while the French don't see the new German government as a threat, there will be a rift that I will explore further after the end of the Cold War.
And regarding the thing that Germany knows that no one else does, essentially it involves either the Soviets being in no position to make demands or the Germans not being in any position.
If your question is if the German government is viewed unfavorably by the French people and leadership, the answer is yes. Frey is not popular, and Germany is only topped by the USSR, Libya, Communist Poland, and East Germany as the most unfavorable country to the French people. However, Paris is not stupid, and they can see the obvious and know Germany is not itching to go to war with them at all. There are no threats of German tanks racing down the Champs Elysees, while everyone is afraid of Soviet tanks in that position. If the USSR could have allied with the capitalist US and the imperialist UK in WWII, then it is more than plausible for the French to ally with a Freyist Germany (if only for a little while) to combat a greater threat. They are not friends, not by a long shot, but they still are allies.I'm sorry but the French would see this government as a threat for so many reasons namely the history of the French and German peoples. To simply wave a magic wand and say this tension doesn't exist is so lazy and asinine you'd be hard pressed to find a dumber excuse than "it isn't happening".
Also if this whole mysterious thing you have going on about what will make the Soviets give up Kaliningrad is annoying. It seems like youre biding time as you struggke to come up with a decent answer. Even if the Soviet government were to collapse 600 thousand Russians would not willingly leave their homeland and would not willingly become part of Germany.
Granted the Italians were never the victims of ethnic cleansing but they have as much of a precedent for a claim on Dalmatia as Germany does on Kaliningrad. I swear in the next update you'll have Germany searching for colonies
since we're on ASB solutions to issues why not have Germany carve up some polish territory and create a Romani homeland as an apology for having ethnically cleansed their people. I realize this last bit is dumb and doesn't have much to do with what everyone is arguing about but it seemed like a cool suggestion if we're tossing plausibility out the window
I'm sorry but the French would see this government as a threat for so many reasons namely the history of the French and German peoples. To simply wave a magic wand and say this tension doesn't exist is so lazy and asinine you'd be hard-pressed to find a dumber excuse than "it isn't happening".
since we're on ASB solutions to issues why not have Germany carve up some polish territory and create a Romani homeland as an apology for having ethnically cleansed their people. I realize this last bit is dumb and doesn't have much to do with what everyone is arguing about but it seemed like a cool suggestion if we're tossing plausibility out the window
No, it's fine. No harm doneSorry for the outburst I had a bit of a shitty day I'll take it down if you'd like