The term “Zeitenwende” has the best chance of being named Word of the Year 2022 by the Society for German Language.

With Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, a European peace order that had lasted for decades shattered within hours and, like a tsunami, swept away the principles of German foreign and security policy that seemed set in stone.

Not only that: with the government statement by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) three days later, the three parties of the traffic light coalition, supported by the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, committed themselves to this breathtaking paradigm shift with unprecedented clarity.

At the same time, they are questioning significant parts of their previous government program.

Resurrection of the Bundeswehr from ruins, two percent target, special assets for the German armed forces in the amount of 100 billion euros, lethal arms deliveries to Ukraine, sectoral suspension of SWIFT towards Russia, Nord Stream 2, the toughest sanctions, yes, the entire Russia policy: overnight decades-old sacred cows of German politics were slaughtered!

What was the historical trigger of this turning point is well known.

The fact that Germany, in association with its European and transatlantic partners, had no other choice.

In a security policy cozy corner

But why was Germany's foreign and security policy cloud cuckoo land after the end of the Cold War, i.e. since 1990, able to hold out for so long and so stubbornly against all odds?

Anyone who simply refers to “politics” as justification is making things too easy for themselves.

In fact, the majority of German society had settled comfortably in a security policy cozy corner.

The statement by Hans-Dietrich Genscher in 1990 "Now we are only surrounded by friends"

was balm for the maltreated German soul after decades of German division and the East-West antagonism and at the same time a trend-setting sleeping pill with long-term effects.

How could this happen?

At least four factors strike me as noteworthy.

1. The long shadow of German history.

The National Socialist war of extermination and the murder of the Jews in Europe were a moral bankruptcy unprecedented on a global historical scale.

The disgrace of the National Socialist crimes acts as a backdrop to this day, especially on our foreign and security policy identity.

The precious special relationship with Israel is the most outstanding example.

Until a few days ago, "never again" was one of the reasons given for not supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine.

The entire German foreign and security policy was and will consistently be provided with this historical and moral dimension, which must also bind future generations.

The current turning point must not change anything about this finding.

2. After two world wars and decades of a Cold War, including the division of Germany with all the existential tensions and mental strains of every German, the supposed "end of history" (Francis Fukuyama) finally allowed society as a whole to take a deep breath.