[Disestablishmentarian]

That sounds like a prescription for continuous civil war.

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WWI and WWII started as European civil wars, aided by specific alliances from outside Europe (notably Hitler-Stalin).

Then came 50 years of occupation of many of these countries by the USA and the USSR.

As the EU is cracking, and its nations are re-arming while seeking independent (outside EU) alliances ... I think a reboot of history is quite possible.

Merkel is right about one thing: For many decades a tacit principle of U.S. foreign policy was to keep Germany from re-arming. But ... that policy of draining American taxpayers to protect Europe from themselves is no longer in the interests of America.

It was bound go happen sooner or later---the Germans remembering who they are, a great warrior nation that took down the Roman Empire, defeated Russia in WWI while fighting on two fronts, and nearly took down the USSR. (Germans whom I know think if Hitler would have allowed the Red Army to defect to the German side, rather than murdering them when they attempted it, the outcome would have been different and that Germany might be ruling in Moscow today.)

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

:: the outcome would have been different and that Germany might be ruling in Moscow today ::

That and that horrible decision to advance on Moscow in the winter.

[dfwgator]

It was bound go happen sooner or later---the Germans remembering who they are, a great warrior nation that took down the Roman Empire, defeated Russia in WWI while fighting on two fronts, and nearly took down the USSR. (Germans whom I know think if Hitler would have allowed the Red Army to defect to the German side, rather than murdering them when they attempted it, the outcome would have been different and that Germany might be ruling in Moscow today.)

Yep, if Hitler had supported Vlasov, he would have defeated Stalin easily.