[Daniel II]

Not everyone gets it right all of the time.

She should have been more worried about multiculturalism and Islamasists invading her country.

[SoftwareEngineer]

I too had mixed feelings. On the one hand East Germany was free. On the other hand, Germany had started three major wars in less than 70 years that in the end basically killed Europe.

Had those wars not occured, Europe would have had 200 million more people today (including 10 million Jews) and socialism would not have taken hold

However, you cannot blame a man for the sins of his grandfather. I don’t blame a german today for what his grandfather did. However, as Lady Thatcher correctly points out, there is something called a National Character

[SolidWood]

It was a reasonable fear and not entirely outlandish. Fortunately she was wrong about this fear.

[Nosterrex]

Germany isn't the problem. The biggest threat to Britain is Britons. We don't have to look to the history of Rome's fall to see how an empire implodes from within. In less than a hundred years, Britain went from a world empire to a glorified third world country. I'm afraid that America is headed in the same direction.

[Hawthorn]

Related discussion:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2338484/posts

[STONEWALLS]

...I see a united Germany as Europe’s best hope to drive back Islam.

[STONEWALLS]

...I see a united Germany as Europe’s best hope to drive back Islam.

[eleni121]

Thatccer was absolutely right on that one! Most Germans either do not want to deal with the past nor are they willing to accept responsiblity through their foreign and domestic policies.

OTOH Britain has some major problems of its own...maybe worse than Germany’s.

[elpadre]

I have always felt that in time, the EU with Germany being the dominant nation by far, would accomplish Germany's pre- WWII goals of European domination - without firing a shot.

The only fly in the ointment is Islam's cancerous growth throughout Europe.

[syriacus]

Some West Germans feared a united Germany.

[wolf78]

Was Margaret Thatcher right to fear a united Germany?

In short: no.
I too had mixed feelings. On the one hand East Germany was free. On the other hand, Germany had started three major wars in less than 70 years that in the end basically killed Europe.

Which three wars? Greater Germany (i.e. Germany and Austria) started the second world war, that is true and undisputed. WWI started as a completely legitimate war on terror in which the western powers decided to side with the terrorists.

They were itching for a fight with England and used an excuse of their alliance to jump in.

So were England and France which used excuses of their own. Your statement is anecdotal, but delivers no proof for your theory.

[Forgotten Amendments]

I believe the whole point is being missed. She wasn't unduly concerned about a reunited Germany. Like the Bushies and the "realists" of the day, she feared "instability" above all. Bush, Baker, etc. did all they could to stop the breakup of the USSR. Remember the "Chicken Kiev" speech, when he denounced Ukraine's "suicidal nationalism"?

Ironic. Today England is pretty much East Germany.