@techreport{Bunde, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Bunde, Tobias}, title = {Lessons (to be) learned? Germany's Zeitenwende and European security after the Russian invasion of Ukraine}, doi = {10.48462/opus4-5578}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b1570-opus4-55785}, pages = {24}, abstract = {In Germany, the Russian war on Ukraine is widely perceived as a "Zeitenwende," a watershed moment undermining key foreign policy beliefs. Despite mounting evidence contradicting them, German elites previously failed to adapt core beliefs regarding Russia and the use of force because these beliefs were not deeply embedded in largely contested identity constructions but also shaped the definition of economic interests, which in turn made ideational adaptation more costly. Moreover, Germany's extraordinarily beneficial geopolitical situation in the post-Cold War era meant that the country could afford not to learn. Although the "Zeitenwende" will trigger significant change, it is unclear which lessons exactly Germans will now be learning and how far that adaptation will go. Given Germany's key position in Europe and its previous role in shaping the European and transatlantic policy toward Russia, the results of these learning processes will significantly shape the emerging security European order.}, language = {en} }