Is the Coup Attempt in Germany the Tip of the Iceberg?
According to experts, the far-right organization's path to power in the country is rooted in a longing for Nazi rule. The coup plot is also seen as an extension of dreams of rebuilding the German Empire. Some commentators even characterize it as a feeble attempt to resurrect Nazi Germany.
On December 7, 2022, news of a postmodern coup attempt in Germany, the most prominent member of the European Union, came out of the blue. Allegedly, a right-wing terrorist organization aiming to disrupt the democratic order in Germany wanted to stage a coup. German intelligence, upon receiving the news, mobilized the police and organized an operation against the organization.
Twenty-five people were taken into custody on charges of attempting an armed coup, planning a coup and membership in a terrorist organization. It is estimated that the organization called Patriotic Union, which was put in the crosshairs with coup charges, has approximately 21 thousand members. According to the coup plan, members of the organization were to storm the Bundestag, take MPs hostage and restore the imperial order. Federal Prosecutor General Peter Frank announced the arrest of eight of those arrested on charges of attempting to revive the German Reich and disrupt the existing democratic order.
This coup attempt in Germany, one of the model democracies of the civilized world, has undoubtedly attracted a lot of attention as an absurd event. Everyone wanted to know the story of such a coup attempt that had no chance. Even though the German people did not take the attempt seriously, voices were raised against the coup plotters, albeit symbolically.
According to experts, the far-right organization's path to power in the country is rooted in a longing for Nazi rule. The coup plot is also seen as an extension of their dream to restore the German Empire. Some commentators even characterize it as a feeble attempt to resurrect Nazi Germany. At the root of all these claims are traces of German racism. It is based on the belief that Germans are superior to all other nationalities. These ideas, which are popular among right-wing extremists, are also the starting point of this organization.
After the Second World War, Germany focused more on becoming a developed economy than on rebuilding its military power. The main reason for this was the steps taken by the United States to prevent the German nation from rising up again, becoming a military superpower and starting a third world war. After the war, the German education system was completely changed. Nazism was made a great "sin". It became 'shameful' to have revisionist ideas in Germany. In fact, people were made unable to talk about the glorious old days. This is why Germany today, despite being a major economy and, in a sense, the leader of the European Union, lags far behind in the international system. It is not one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.
The right-wing extremists no longer consent to the imposition on the German nation of a Germany that has no voice in the United Nations alongside France, Britain and the Russian Federation, whose economies are smaller than its own. Germans want to go beyond the role that the United States has assigned to them. Germany is home to a far-right populist party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), as well as the PEGIDA movement, the so-called Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West. Such right-wing extremist organizations are the flag-bearers of Islamophobia and anti-immigrant rhetoric across Germany.
As a result of searches in 130 locations across Germany, several people were arrested, including Heinrich Prinz Reuss, a descendant of the House of Reuß, and former AfD MP Birgit Malsack-Winkemann.
The Reichsbürger movement, which is accused of plotting a coup, is part of the German far right with similar ideas. It has always attracted attention as an organization that ideologically espouses racism, conspiracy theories and anti-Semitism. Reichsbürger believes that the borders of the German Empire are valid and that a Greater Germany with vast territories exists in Europe.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said that 54 people are being investigated for the coup attempt and added: "We will maintain our tough stance against enemies of the state." Faeser said that they are aware that there are people in supposedly bourgeois, affluent circles who have become radicalized by disregarding democracy, who pursue conspiracy theories and revolutionary fantasies, and who are not averse to violence, adding that they are monitoring such organizations and their members.
As a result, the alleged postmodern coup attempt by the Reichsbürger was stopped in its tracks by intelligence services and simultaneous police raids. However, such a coup attempt has attracted considerable attention. According to some, such attempts will not be limited to the Reichsbürger. This is because across Europe, the trend towards extreme nationalism has increased and right-wing votes are on the rise. Populist rhetoric is in demand. Islamophobia is spreading. Anti-immigrant sentiment is on the rise. In this environment, actions by racist movements that could undermine European security and stability may become more frequent.
