Neither Hegemony nor Dominance: Reconsidering German Power in Post Cold-War Europe

Abstract

German unification in 1989 raised the spectre of German hegemony in post-cold war Europe. In this article, I demonstrate that Germany lacks the structural power consistent with European hegemony or dominance; that there is little evidence supporting an appreciable gap between Germany's structural power and foreign policy ambitions; and that apparent symptoms of German hegemony, particularly the process of institutional emulation in Central and Eastern Europe, reflect other international processes and incentives emanating from the state system itself. This reassessment and downgrading of Germany's relative and absolute power resolve the paradox of German structural power and German reluctance identified by others. But this alternative narrative raises another more important question: why is Germany treated as a potential or even aspiring hegemon in Europe? The answer to that question is located in the interconnected legacies of Auschwitz and the occupation regime. This joint legacy constitutes an important part of the historical context within which we frame our assessments and judgements of German power; explains the frequently unwarranted exaggeration and suspicion of German power; and demonstrates how the past can function as a powerful prism though which we interpret the intentions, ambitions and capabilities of a state.

Power and regional security: A comparative discourse on ECOWAS and SADC

“…Indeed, the recalcitrance of North Korea in the region is attributable to its acquisition of nuclear technology and weaponry which has increased its influence in the security matrix of the region and the world at large (Choi & Kim, 2017;Elleman, 2017). In the same vein, Germany, Britain and France dominance of the European Union is directly linked to their power status in Western Europe (Sperling, 2001). Power is also illustrated by the posture of Israel in the Middle East in spite of its micro population and land mass when compared with its Arab neighbours as well as the nuclear arm race of Iran to increase its relevance in the region (Rabinovich, 2015).…”

Regionális hegemón-e Németország?

“…Egyfelől azt emelik ki, hogy amíg gazdasági érte-lemben Németország vált az EU meghatározó államává, addig politikai értelemben továbbra sem tekinthető hegemónnak. A rendszerelméletekből kiindulva Sperling [2001] igyekszik cáfolni, hogy Németország hegemónná vált volna, mivel nem rendelkezik az ehhez szükséges nemzetközi politikai hatalommal. Bulmer és Paterson [2016] pedig amellett érvel, hogy a kül-és biztonságpolitika területén Németország nem tekinthető hegemónnak, mivel e területeken nem biztosítja a kollektív javakat, sőt időnként ki is marad közös ügyekből.…”

Hegemoni Kekuasaan Terhadap Seni Pedalangan

“…Pengertian hegemoni di di era sekarang menunjukkan sebuah kepemimpinan dari suatu negara tertentu, yang bukan saja sebagai negara kota yang melakukan hegemoni terhadap negara-negara lain yang berhubungan secara longgar maupun secara ketat terintegrasi dalam negara pemimpin (Sperling, 2001). Dalam konsep hegemoni yang dikemukakan Gramci sebenarnya dapat dielaborasi melalui penjelasannya tentang sebuah basis dari supremasi kelas, yakni bahwa supremasi sebuah kelompok sosial mewujudkan diri dalam dua cara, sebagai dominasi dan sebagai kepemimpinan intelektual dan moral (Patria, 2003).…”