These are the headlines that the once feared German military are currently making.

這就是曾經令人生畏的德國軍方目前的頭條新聞。

Not to mention the hundreds of millions of euros that went to consultants in an effort to clean up the army's mess, with very little to show for it.

更不用說，為了收拾軍隊的爛攤子，數億歐元都花在了顧問身上，但收效甚微。

German high-ranking officials are raising their concerns, and so are NATO allies, where statements such as these are not uncommon.

德國高級官員提出了他們的擔憂，北約盟國也是如此，在北約，這樣的聲明並不罕見。

Ever since the Cold War ended in 1991, Germany has allowed its military to deteriorate.

自 1991 年冷戰結束以來，德國的軍事力量每況愈下。

And this is somewhat understandable, as Germany was busy integrating the West with the East, which posed great economic and social challenges.

這在某種程度上是可以理解的，因為當時德國正忙於東西部一體化，這帶來了巨大的經濟和社會挑戰。

Over the last 30 years, there was simply very little incentive to have a powerful military, as Germany doesn't share a border with potential aggressors like Russia, NATO, and especially the US, was there for protection, and unlike the US and the UK, Germany had very few overseas commitments, and there was very little appetite for a large military among the population, who still remember the horrors of World War II.

在過去的 30 年裡，德國根本沒有什麼動力去擁有一支強大的軍隊，因為德國與俄羅斯這樣的潛在侵略者並不接壤，北約，尤其是美國，是德國的保護傘，而且與美國和英國不同，德國很少有海外承諾，而且德國民眾對二戰的恐怖記憶猶新，他們對龐大軍隊的胃口很小。

But now, overnight, everything has changed.

但現在，一夜之間，一切都變了。

Only three days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, made a shocking announcement, declaring that Germany will massively increase its defense spending, and meet the 2% NATO benchmark.

俄羅斯入侵烏克蘭僅三天後，德國總理奧拉夫-肖爾茨就宣佈了一項令人震驚的消息，宣佈德國將大規模增加國防開支，並達到北約 2% 的基準。

This was met by applause in Parliament, and surveys already show that 75% of Germans support this decision.

議會對此報以熱烈掌聲，調查顯示 75% 的德國人支持這一決定。

But how significant is this increase?

但這一增長有多大意義呢？

Let's have a look at defense spending across the globe last year in 2021.

讓我們看看去年（2021 年）全球的國防開支。

As you can see, Germany spent 52.8 billion dollars, sitting at 7th in the world ranking list, slightly ahead of France, but significantly behind the UK and Russia.

正如您所看到的，德國花費了 528 億美元，在世界排名中位居第七，略高於法國，但明顯落後於英國和俄羅斯。

But if we compare percentage of GDP, Germany ranks much lower.

但如果比較佔國內生產總值的百分比，德國的排名要低得多。

Of the 20 biggest military spenders, Germany comes in 15th, as they only spend 1.4% of their GDP on their army.

在軍費開支最大的 20 個國家中，德國排在第 15 位，因為他們的軍隊開支僅佔國內生產總值的 1.4%。

Many have criticized this lack of spending, as it is far below the NATO target of 2%.

許多人責備這種支出不足，因為它遠遠低於北約 2% 的目標。

However, once Germany hits the 2% target, things will look very different.

然而，一旦德國達到 2% 的目標，情況就會截然不同。

Because of Germany's strong economy, military expenditure would rise to 76.12 billion dollars, putting Germany into 3rd place, ahead of Russia and the UK, making them the frontrunner within the EU and Europe by quite some distance.

由於德國經濟實力雄厚，軍費開支將增至 761.2 億美元，排名第三，超過俄羅斯和英國，在歐盟和歐洲範圍內遙遙領先。

And German politicians have said as much, clearly stating that this is the intent.

德國的政治家們也是這麼說的，他們明確表示這是他們的意圖。

And it doesn't stop here.

而且還不止於此。

In an effort to modernize the military more quickly, Olaf Scholz has also dedicated a one-time special fund of over 100 billion euros to German defense.

為了更快地實現軍隊現代化，奧拉夫-肖爾茨還一次性為德國國防投入了超過 1000 億歐元的專項資金。

This is a lot of money, but spend doesn't necessarily equal military might.

這是一大筆錢，但花錢並不一定等於軍事實力。

The UK, France and Russia are still far ahead when it comes to military strength.

在軍事實力方面，英國、法國和俄羅斯仍遙遙領先。

Here we can see the comparison between these nations.

在這裡，我們可以看到這些國家之間的比較。

While Germany does have a significant number of soldiers, aircraft and tanks, it only has a very small presence on the sea.

雖然德國擁有大量的阿兵哥、飛機和坦克，但在海上的存在卻非常有限。

France and the UK do have a considerable navy, with multiple destroyers, submarines and even three aircraft carriers in between them.

法國和英國確實擁有一支強大的海軍，它們之間有多艘驅逐艦、潛艇，甚至還有三艘航空母艦。

And well, then there's Russia, who just has a lot of everything.

還有俄羅斯，它什麼都有。

As for nuclear weapons, in the aftermath of World War II, it was agreed that Germany cannot possess nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.

至於核武器，第二次世界大戰結束後，各方商定德國不得擁有核武器、生物武器或化學武器。

However, this comparison is somewhat incomplete and flawed, as it does not take into account military modernization, high-tech weapons, logistics, military experience and intelligence.

然而，這種比較有些不全面，也有缺陷，因為它沒有考慮到軍事現代化、高科技武器、後勤、軍事經驗和情報。

Whether Germany will become a military superpower also depends on how the money is spent.

德國能否成為軍事超級大國，還取決於如何花錢。

Scholz has already hinted at a high-level tech wishlist, such as the F-35 fighter to replace older Tornado aircraft from the 1970s, the future combat air system which is developing together with France, heavy transport helicopters, modernization of air defense missile systems, armed drones, modern warships, etc.

肖爾茨已經暗示了一份高層次的技術願望清單，如用於取代 20 世紀 70 年代老式 "龍捲風 "飛機的 F-35 戰鬥機、與法國共同開發的未來戰鬥航空系統、重型運輸直升機、現代化防空導彈系統、武裝無人機、現代化戰艦等。

However, as mentioned at the start of the video, Germany still seems to be getting the basics wrong.

然而，正如視頻開頭提到的那樣，德國似乎仍然搞錯了最基本的東西。

Only around 40% of helicopters and 65% of tanks are operational.

只有約 40% 的直升機和 65% 的坦克可以使用。

And it gets even worse.

而且情況更糟。

A recent German parliamentary report found that only 50% of major military hardware is working properly.

德國議會最近的一份報告發現，只有 50% 的主要軍事硬件能正常工作。

Therefore, money needs to be spent in getting existing equipment up and running first.

是以，首先需要花錢使現有設備正常運行。

And as you may remember from the start of the video, the German Bundeswehr has the reputation of wasting taxpayers' money.

大家可能還記得，在視頻的開頭，德國聯邦國防軍就以浪費納稅人的錢而聞名。

So, will Germany become the new European superpower?

那麼，德國會成為新的歐洲超級大國嗎？

Possibly.

有可能

But not until Germany cleans up its current mess and invests the new budget wisely.

但這要等到德國收拾好當前的爛攤子，並明智地投資於新的預算。

But next to the world's superpowers, such as the US and China, even with Germany's new budget, it remains a small player, as it spends way too little.

但是，與美國和中國等世界超級大國相比，即使德國有了新的預算，它仍然是一個小國，因為它的支出太少了。

And this really raises the question, does an EU army make sense?

這確實提出了一個問題：歐盟軍隊有意義嗎？

Check out the videos below to see the reasons for and against an EU army.

請觀看下面的視頻，瞭解支持和反對歐盟軍隊的理由。

And if you enjoy the content, please subscribe and like the video.

如果您喜歡這些內容，請訂閱視頻並點贊。

I'm a very new channel and this will really help me grow.

我是一個非常新的頻道，這將真正幫助我成長。

Thank you.

謝謝。