USA and Germany ties

by jammymean (student)

International Baccalaureate Misc

Leong

JiaMin Leong

Ms. Kavytha

Humanities

11th March 2011

United States of America and Germany: Friends For Real?

The United States of America, also known as USA, is a comprising and a . The country is situated mostly in central , where its and , the , lie between the and , bordered by to the north and to the south. The state of is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and to the west across the . The state of is an in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses in the and Pacific. (W1 - United States) The very name of the country, America, was given by the German geographer Martin Waldseemüller in 1507. (W12 – Relations between the United States and Germany)

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany is a country in and . It is bordered to the north by the Sea, Denmark, and the ; to the east by and the ; to the south by Austria and ; and to the west by , , , and the Netherlands. The territory of Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and is influenced by a temperate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state of the , and home to the migrants worldwide. (W2 - Germany)

Although once sworn enemies from their historical past, Germany and the United States of America, otherwise known as USA, have formed a friendship throughout the many years that has passed. (W3 - Who Were the U.S Friends and Enemies before and after WW2?) Since October 14th 1925, USA and Germany made an agreement to improve the relations between both countries and their governments; it was also registered in the League of Nations Treaty Series on August 3, 1926. (W4 – Treaty Of Friendship) The United States' relations with a German state officially began in September 1785 when it negotiated a commercial treaty with Prussia. Today, the United States is regarded as one of the ’s closest allies and partners outside of the .

The relation between the United States and Germany is called a transatlantic relation, transatlantic relations refers to the historic, cultural, political, economic and social between countries on both side of the . (W6 - Germany – United States Relations) Having built a solid foundation of bilateral cooperation in a relationship that has changed significantly over five decades. The historic unification of Germany and the role the United States played in that process have served to strengthen ties between the two countries. German-American political, economic, and security relationships continue to be based on close consultation and coordination at the most senior levels. High-level visits take place frequently, and the United States and Germany cooperate actively in international forums. (W5 - History of German-American Relations)

Cold war was also a crucial time where USA and Germany formed the start of their friendship. When World War II ended, Germany was occupied by four countries: France, the United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union; otherwise known as Russia. Eventually in 1949, Eastern Germany Democratic Republic was controlled by the Soviets whereas the Americans and Western allies supported the Western Federal Republic of Germany. This was when cold war rivalry spoke the realities of Germany. The Marshall Plan was US’s aid to Western Germany, this helped rebuild the economy and infrastructure of the Germans, it also ...

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For over three centuries, immigration from Germany accounted for a large share of all American immigrants. As of the 2000 U.S. Survey, more than 15% of all Americans, and 25% of , claim German descent. German-Americans are an assimilated group which influences political life in the US as a whole. They are the most common self-reported ethnic group in the northern half of the United States, especially in the . In most of , German Americans are less common, with the exception of and . The first records of German immigration date back to the 17th century, when approximately 37,000 Germans came to North America. (W6 - Germany – United States Relations) By the time America achieved independence, Germans, who were scattered throughout the nation, comprised about 9 percent of the population. In the nineteenth century they continued to arrive by the thousands.
(W8 - Germany-U.S. Relations)

Though the United States and Germany has started out in a sour relationship, it is no doubt things have changed dramatically over the past few decades because today, the United States is regarded as one of the ’s closest allies and partners outside of the , this creates a question we’ve all been wondering: How does one sustain a friendship? Starting a friendship may be a start, but maintaining it is a different story. Each country will play a vital role in sustaining their friendship. The key to maintaining a friendship or relationship between countries is to adapt mutual understanding and tolerance towards each other. Problems shall be solved is a peaceful manner and violence should not be needed.

Presently, U.S. policy toward Germany remains the preservation and consolidation of a close and vital relationship with Germany, not only as friends and trading partners, but also as allies sharing common institutions. During the 45 years in which Germany was divided, the U.S. role in Berlin and the large American military presence in West Germany served as symbols of the U.S. commitment to the preservation of peace and security in Europe. Since German unification, the U.S. commitment to these goals has not changed. Nearly 59,000 U.S. military personnel remain in Germany to protect these common interests. As allies in NATO, the United States and Germany work side by side to maintain peace and freedom. (W5 - History of German-American Relations)

NATO stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization and is an Alliance that consists of 28 independent member countries; both Germany and the United States are part of the NATO organization. (W10 – NATO – Member Countries) NATO is also an international organization created in 1949 by the North Atlantic Treaty for purposes of collective security and due to aggressive military expansion in the Soviet Union. (W9 – Glossary of Terms)

New York’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg, this year’s "Grand Chairman" of the German-American Steuben Parade, Lars Halter and Deputy Consul General Oliver Schnakenberg opened the German-American Friendship Month on September 1, 2010 at the Biergarten at "The Standard" hotel. The celebration kicked off a variety of events organized by the German-American Committee of Greater New York that will take place this month, including concerts, film showings, and readings with German-speaking authors. In his remarks Mayor Bloomberg emphasized the invaluable contributions German immigrants have made to daily life in New York. For the fourth time in a row, German-American Friendship Month is part of the official calendar of events for New York. (W11 – German Missions in the United States)

Germany participated in Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S. military operation launched in early October 2001 against the Taliban regime and against Al Qaeda strongholds in Afghanistan. Germany did not support the U.S. military operation in Iraq in March-April 2003. Chancellor Angela Merkel took office in November 2005 promising foreign policies anchored in are vitalized transatlantic partnership.

Recognizing the importance of the German-American economic relationship, during Germany’s six-month presidency of the European Union in 2007, Chancellor Merkel initiated the Transatlantic Economic Initiative to reduce and remove these barriers. Over the long term, the deep and mutually beneficial trade and investment relations between U.S. and German firms remain vital for both domestic and global economic growth. There are numerous opportunities for bilateral cooperation in the economic and commercial sphere, including multilateral trade negotiations, reducing agricultural protectionism and promoting economic global growth. German-American economic as well as political partnership has contributed to making reunification a success. (W5 - History of German-American Relations)

Since reunification, U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) in Germany has more than tripled while German investment in the U.S. is roughly seven times what is was when the Wall fell. After France, the United States is Germany's largest export market. The United States also is Germany's third largest supplier, and its principal trading partner outside the EU. Today, there are more than 3,000 German companies in the United States, with almost 670,000 employees; over 2,700 American companies in Germany provide 800,000 jobs. At least 1.5 million jobs and approximately 6,000 companies in both countries depend on the United States and Germany’s relationship. (W5 - History of German-American Relations)

After analyzing the facts I’ve collected, it is evident that despite the rough past they had started out in, the friendship they now share is considered as one of the best relationships to both the United States and Germany. For the past few decades, Germany and the United States have strived to build a relationship between the both of them to maintain world peace and also to help each other out. The two countries being in the NATO organization has worked closely together to ensure world peace. Because of the United States, Germany is now a free country with jobs opportunities from the United States and Germany’s largest export market in the United States. Although it started with a war, the war brought them together, and together they have managed to support each other, creating an abiding relationship which not only benefits themselves but to the world. . This proves that no matter how bad a relationship may start out as, it may become the best, depends how much you strive to perfect it.

In conclusion, I believe the key to sustaining a long lasting relationship is the trust and mutual understanding shared between the two countries. Looking at how much they have been through and analyzing the present condition of their friendship, I can safely conclude that Germany and the United States has shared and will continue a very lasting relationship based on what they’ve been through. This concludes my essay of the relations between the United States and Germany.

Bibliography

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Images

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"- History of German-American Relations2001." About the USA. Images. 24 Mar. 2011. <http://usa.usembassy.de/garelations.htm>.