With Russia's Cold War behavior resurfacing, European neighbors are shifting from complacency to vigilance. NATO warplanes scrambled 400 times in 2014 due to heightened Russian air incursions, a level of activity unseen since the Cold War era. In the worst-case scenario, this resurgence of tensions could signal a return to Cold War hostilities, potentially leading to a more explosive and deadly outcome.

Throughout the Cold War, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) stood as a critical defense against a potential Soviet invasion of Europe. The essence of the treaty was a mutual defense pact, where an attack on one member in Europe or North America was considered an attack on all, a vital assurance for European nations facing the threat of fifty Soviet and Warsaw Pact armored divisions and nearly two million troops. The Soviets and their allies, with a 2-to-1 advantage in main battle tanks, believed they could reach the Rhine River in just seven days, making Europe heavily reliant on America's commitment to retaliate. Lord Ismay, NATO's first Secretary General, pragmatically summarized NATO's purpose as keeping the Russians out of Europe, the Americans in, and the Germans down. The U.S. aimed to prevent any unified Eurasian entity that could threaten its interests, while NATO also sought to bind Germany economically, politically, and militarily to its neighbors to prevent further conflict. For four tense decades, Europe depended on the U.S. to deter the Soviet Union, prioritizing this threat over other disagreements. NATO provided security without demanding significant financial contributions from European members, allowing them to allocate resources elsewhere. However, with the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and the collapse of the U.S.S.R. in 1991, NATO has struggled to redefine its purpose. Without the Soviet threat, the alliance's unity has weakened, with member states developing divergent threat priorities. While the U.S. focuses on combating militant Islam abroad, most European nations view terrorism as a domestic issue. Russia's resurgence into its former sphere of influence alarms Eastern European NATO members, but garners little concern from Western and Southern Europe. Germany, far from being subdued, is now a dominant force shaping European policy, favoring cooperation with Russia over viewing it as a threat. Despite NATO's historical success in deterring a Soviet attack, current dynamics show Russia integrated into Europe and Germany rising in influence, casting doubt on the alliance's relevance.

The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union significantly contributed to Germany's relative weakness for over 40 years. Divided between the two superpowers, Germany was as if shackled to the Berlin Wall, with West Germany prospering while East Germany languished under Moscow's control. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union allowed Germany to reunite, initiating the challenging process of aligning the former East Germany with the West's standards. This unification has largely succeeded, freeing Germany to assert its presence in Europe and beyond as a sovereign nation with the largest population and strongest economy on the continent.