U.S. policy towards Germany
U.S.-German relations have been a focal point of American involvement in Europe since the end of World War II. Ambassador Philip Murphy has arrived in Germany and will, in August 2009, present his credentials. From the American standpoint, Germany stands at the center of European affairs and is a key partner in U.S. relations with Europeans in NATO and the European Union.
German-American ties extend back to the colonial era. More than 7 million Germans have immigrated over the last three centuries, and today nearly a quarter of U.S. citizens claim German ancestry. In recognition of this heritage and the importance of modern-day U.S.-German ties, the U.S. President annually has proclaimed October 6, the date the first German immigrants arrived in 1623, to be "German-American Day."
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 preserving peace and security in Europe. Since German unification, the U.S. commitment to these goals has not changed. The U.S. made significant reductions in its troop levels in Germany after the Cold War ended. The U.S., however, continues to recognize that the security and prosperity of the United States and Germany significantly depend on each other.
European stability
As allies in NATO, the United States and Germany work side by side to maintain peace and freedom. This unity and resolve made possible the successful conclusion of the 1987 U.S.-U.S.S.R. Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), the Two-plus-Four process--which led to the Final Settlement Treaty--and the November 1990 Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty.
More recently, the two allies have cooperated closely in peacekeeping efforts in the Balkans and have worked together to encourage the evolution of open and democratic states throughout central and eastern Europe.
Central Asia
Germany is also a strong contributor to our common effort to secure peace and stability in Afghanistan, providing some 3,500 military personnel to the NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission, making it the third-largest troop contributor after the U.S. and the U.K. Germany currently commands ISAF's northern region (RC-North) where it leads two of the five provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs) as well as the forward support base. Under a new parliamentary mandate approved in October 2008, the troop ceiling for German forces in Afghanistan was increased from 3,500 to 4,500.
The German military, the Bundeswehr, is in the process of transforming itself from a purely territorial defense force, as it was during the Cold War, into an expeditionary force capable of deploying up to 14,000 soldiers at a time. Currently, Germany has some 7,000 soldiers on deployments outside NATO territory. In addition to the troops in ISAF, Germany has more than 2,000 military personnel in the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) and contributes troops to the European Union Force in Bosnia, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, and the UN missions in Sudan, Georgia, and Ethiopia.
Terrorism
Following the 9/11 attack, Germany has been a reliable U.S. ally in the campaign against terrorism.
Immediately before the 9/11 attack, the German destroyer Lutjens, ironically named for the admiral who commanded the KMS Bismarck on its final voyage against the Royal Navy, had been doing exercises, in the UK, with USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81).
As Churchill got underway for emergency response, the Lutjens crew manned the rails, a naval custom showing respect. The white banner, held by the sailors on the upper deck, reads "we stand with you."
Germany has been a vital partner in Afghanistan, but did not agree with the U.S. decision for the Iraq War.
Economy
As two of the world's leading trading nations, the United States and Germany share a common, deep-seated commitment to an open and expanding world economy. Personal ties between the United States and Germany extend beyond immigration to include intensive foreign exchange programs, booming tourism in both directions, and the presence in Germany of large numbers of American military personnel and their dependents.
References
Adapted from U.S. Department of State Background Note, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3997.htm (public domain)