The ,,Spirit of Potsdam"
POTSDAM Potsdam near Berlin may well become headquarters for worldwide military operations under EU leadership within the facility of the German ,,Operational Leadership Command". This location is a symbol of Prussian militarism and of Germany's climb to the status of a Great European Power.
The ,,Operational Leadership Command"has been established in Potsdam-Geltow near Berlin since July 2001. It plans and controls operations of all German fighting forces, whether national or international, and so corresponds to the earlier German ,,General Staff". 1)Amongst other things it houses the German-Dutch Operations and Coordination Centre for the International Protection Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.
According to the wish of the German military, the Headquarters of the future EU Rapid Reaction Force would be in the old buildings of the Operational Leadership Command and the Bundeswehr would have a more modern operational centre. There are current EU operations in Macedonia and the Congo. Next year the EU will take over in Bosnia Herzogovina and military operations in Moldova are presently under consideration. 2)
,,Valhalla
The likely site of the future EU military Headquarters is a symbol of Prussian and German militarism. After the ,,Wars of Liberation" 3)at the beginning of the 19th century and the ,,Reich Unification War"of 1870/71 4), the Potsdam garrison church received the dedicated war trophies of the Prussian army (amongst them some 200 French, Danish and Austrian standards and regimental colours) and so was developed into a sort of ,,Valhalla"of the Prussian-German ascent to world power status. In 1914 the garrison church became the symbolic point of farewell for the departing troops. Because of the Prussian myth of Potsdam it was chosen as the place for the founding of the Third Reich. The Nazis used the ,,spirit of Potsdam"to place their movement within the Prussian tradition and those of middle class Conservatism.
1) After the First World War, Germany was forbidden to have the ,,Great General Staff"which had been so potent in aggressive militarism. Its functions were disguised under the name ,,Truppenamt"- literally ,,Troops' Office". The new title appears to be in this tradition.
2) See also earlier articles EU Strategy: ,,Preemptive Wars", worldwideand EU-Military Operation in the Congo
3) Against the French under Napoleon Bonaparte.
4) Known outside Germany as the Franco-Prussian War
Source:
Geltow im Test als EU-Hauptquartier; Märkische Allgemeine 16.07.2003