Stumbling US diplomacy flattens Washington’s influence curve
American diplomacy has faced a challenge from the start of President Trump’s administration — how to make his “America First” pledge an operational reality in a world that was oriented for …
Merkel Addresses German Public on Coronavirus: Will Her Efforts to Steel Domestic Solidarity Pave the Way for Ambitious German Actions?
Chancellor Merkel spoke directly to the German public in prime time on March 18, the first time she has delivered such an emergency address during her fourteen-plus years as chancellor. …
Yearning for Familiar Wine In Well-Known Bottles
Parsing the leitmotif of this year’s Munich Security Conference (MSC)—Westlessness—is worth the effort as it does not merely equal semantic pondering. The term invented by the organizers of the MSC …
What the Next President Can Do to Save Our Alliances with Europe
The transatlantic relationship has suffered a series of near-fatal blows in recent years. President Trump has openly questioned America’s Article 5 commitment to defend any attacked NATO member, dubbed the …
Negotiating for the Future: Lessons for American Diplomacy from German Unification
With Robert Zoellick and Horst Teltschik On December 9, 2019, AGI presented a lecture by Robert Zoellick on “Negotiating for the Future: Lessons for American Diplomacy from German Unification.” Mr. …
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Thirty Years After the Fall: The Lessons of 2019
As we commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall, one lingering question remains. Why were so many people shocked when it happened? We had enough warning. There was no reason …
Embarking on a New Path of Partnership: Thirty Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall
On Saturday, we mark the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was one of the most momentous political developments in a generation—the climax of the peaceful …
Fifty Years since Ostpolitik. How Willy Brandt’s Diplomacy Transformed Europe
It is fifty years since the start of Willy Brandt’s Ostpolitik. Brandt was a peculiar figure in contemporary history. Brandt’s dropping to his knees in front of the Warsaw Ghetto …
The United States and Europe: The Need for Adaptation
The American-German Institute (AGI) and the German Academy for Security Policy (BAKS) convened a joint workshop on The U.S.-German Relationship: Partnership Under Stress? on June 25-26, 2019, at the German …
Jack Janes on C-Span’s Washington Today
On September 23, Dr. Jackson Janes spoke with C-Span’s Steve Scully on the Washington Today program. He discussed Germany, the UN, and the global perspective (23:40). Listen to interview
Ohne Mich Once Again
The German government’s decision not to participate in a Western effort to respond to Iran’s actions in the Persian Gulf is not surprising but deeply disappointing nonetheless. It is not …
Reflections on Legacies and Lessons of 1989
In evaluating history, T.S. Eliot reminded us that human beings often “had the experience but missed the meaning.” In efforts to make sense of our past, we look for patterns …
