For the first time since World War II, German combat troops are being stationed in France, part of a conscious effort to show the two EU powers have forever buried former hatreds.
A German battalion in a French-German military brigade officially took up arms Friday at a symbolism-rich ceremony in eastern France attended by the two countries' defense ministers.
The 6,000-strong French-German Brigade was created in 1989. But until this year German combat troops had never been stationed in France, though French ones had been posted at bases in Germany — a legacy of the allies' postwar occupation.
More about the brigade here. Still, taking up arms and being based in France is one thing, allowing the German battalion to march through the Arc de Triomphe? Fat chance.
History is a great weight to drag along to a glorious "European" future.
