PARTY LIKE IT’S 1939: Germany’s rearmament upends Europe’s power balance.

For decades, the European Union ran on an unspoken understanding: Germany handled the money, France handled the military. Now, the tables are turning.

As Germany aims to become Europe’s predominant military power, the political balance is shifting. In France, there’s a scramble to stay relevant, while in Poland, Germany’s rearmament is stirring old ghosts and creating a sense that a Berlin-Warsaw alliance might be the most effective way to keep Russia at bay.

“Everywhere I go in the world, from the Baltics to Asia, people are asking Germany to take on more responsibility,” said Christoph Schmid, a German Social Democratic lawmaker on the Bundestag’s defense committee. “The expectation is that Germany will finally step up and match its economic weight with defense power.”

A Germany with Europe’s largest army, equipped with cutting edge tanks, missiles and jets, is a far cry from the shambolic Bundeswehr derided for its low morale and outdated equipment. That military power is tied to political and economic heft — and Europe will have to adapt to a dominant Germany.

But you have to read halfway through the long-ish report to get to this: “The main caveat is whether German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will manage to fill the Bundeswehr’s personnel gaps.”

That’s one helluva caveat.