Episode 08: German and European Security at a Crossroads
As the March 29 deadline for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union approaches, no one knows how it will ultimately turn out. But some lessons are apparent despite the …
Dazed and Confused: Germany’s Inner Struggle to Mature
This year’s Munich Security Conference (MSC) once again illustrated the stark contrast in world views on matters of international security and defense. While it was to be expected that Western …
Philip Ackermann, AGSR Fellow
AICGS is pleased to welcome Philip Ackermann as an AICGS/GMF Fellow with the American-German Situation Room in Washington, DC, in February 2019. Philip A. Ackermann is a Research Fellow with …
Germany and European Security: Ready to Leave the Comfort Zone Yet?
2019 will be a pivotal year for European security. NATO, the central pillar of Europe’s security architecture to date, turns 70, while the gap between the United States and European …
The German Strategic Debate Gets Serious
As the annual Munich Security conference convenes this weekend, the debate on how Germany and Europe should respond to the Trump administration’s positions on NATO and the European Union (EU) …
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Support Our WorkJudy Asks: Is NATO Deterrence a Paper Tiger?
Far from it. Deterrence rests on risk calculation and doubt. The costs of challenging the deterrent have to be just high enough to discourage risk taking. While Putin was surprised …
US expected to announce US suspension of landmark INF arms control treaty
On the U.S. suspension of the INF Treaty, AICGS President Jeff Rathke told CNN that Europe is “worried about US withdrawal in particular because it takes the pressure off of …
A European Army: The Wrong Choice for Germany Among Greater Defense Woes
French president Emmanuel Macron’s call for a European army at the beginning of November was met with some justified eye-rolling on both sides of the Atlantic. Chancellor Merkel and defense …
Germany’s Road Ahead: Four Years into the Munich Consensus
It seems that Germany has come a long way since February 2014 when decision-makers proclaimed the “Munich consensus.” In it, then-federal president Joachim Gauck, then-foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (who has …
Report and Executive Summary: Bonn International Security Forum
From November 18-20, 2018, the Center for International Security and Governance (CISG) of Bonn University and the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS) of Johns Hopkins University hosted the …
Episode 03: Burdensharing within NATO: Do more, spend more?
No relationship is without its difficulties and disagreements, not even between societies as close as the U.S. and Europe. For almost as long as NATO has existed, Washington has wanted …
Transatlantic Relations after the Midterms
A Fresh Start or Further Decline? Since President Trump began implementing his vision of “America First” two years ago, European partners have been concerned whether a more unilateral and transactional …
