Germany of 1945

Authored by Michael Pate on August 10th, 2003 at 12:13 PM

The contrast between Germany of 1945 and Iraq of today could not be greater. The Iraq war did not last six years, but six weeks. Iraqis experienced no carpet-bombing and collateral damage was minimal. Whereas the German population was totally exhausted, painfully aware of the country’s unconditional surrender, the population of Iraq has to deal with vexing but certainly less fundamental problems. It seems paradoxical that U.S. soldiers are being ambushed by Iraqis whom they spared from the greatest horrors of modern warfare. Perhaps a farsighted leader will emerge in the ancient land of the Euphrates and the Tigris, who - like Konrad Adenauer, first chancellor of West Germany - will help the country find a new way of life and a proper place in the family of nations. - Victor J. Drapela