Revanchism in Germany: Between Past and Future

Abstract

In the post-Soviet period, Russian researchers have practically lost interest in the phenomenon of revanchism, which is the ideology, theory and practice of preparing for war in order to transform the status quo that has developed after a military defeat. Nevertheless, the ideas of revenge continue to have a significant impact on politics of Western states, which is explicitly manifested in contemporary Germany. An Analysis of the genesis of the ideology and practice of revanchism in Germany demonstrates that its roots go back to the ideas of patriotism and national revival. During the Nazi period, revanchist sentiments gained a powerful theoretical and ideological foundation thanks to the writings of the Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz, whose ideas were actively used to justify and promote the military ambitions of the Nazi regime. After the defeat of Nazism there was a renaissance of interest in West Germany to the works of German thinkers, including Clausewitz, which was also connected with criticism of the victors’ policies aimed at denazification, demilitarization and revision of the post-war world order. This process contributed to the legitimization of revanchist sentiments and the revision of the results of the Second World War. Nowadays Germany is demonstrating an anti-Russian foreign policy strategy aimed at strengthening its military potential and striving for dominance in Europe. There is a tendency towards encouragement of Russophobia in the socio-political discourse of the country, which creates favorable conditions for the revival of revanchist ideas and practices. Thus, the scientific community and Russian institutes of state and society should put efforts to prevent and expose revanchist tendencies and radical ideologies and practices. This requires a deep analysis and critical reconsideration of historical and modern manifestations of revanchism, as well as the development of effective strategies to oppose these phenomena.