Kovač's Historical Analysis: French Fear of Germany, British Empire, and U.S. Power Shaped the EU

Miro Kovač, a historian and former Croatian Foreign Minister, offered a sweeping historical analysis of the European Union's formation and the enduring influence of global powers. Speaking on Večernji TV's "Historical Dialogues" podcast, Kovač delved into the complex Franco-German relationship, tracing its roots back to Charlemagne and detailing centuries of conflict and cooperation.

“

There were no conspiracies, the assassination simply happened due to the existence of Serbian imperialism and expansionism.

He highlighted the historical parallels between past geopolitical rivalries, such as the Anglo-German competition preceding World War I, and current Sino-American tensions. Kovač noted how alliances like the Triple Entente were formed to counterbalance German power, drawing a line from historical power plays to contemporary global strategy.

The former minister also re-examined the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, attributing the outbreak of World War I not to a grand conspiracy but to Serbian imperialism and expansionism. He further explored the post-war era, detailing the U.S.-engineered financial system where American loans to Germany ultimately flowed back to the U.S., solidifying the dollar's global dominance over the British pound.

“

American money given to the Germans ended up back in the U.S., and after ten to fifteen years, the dollar became the world currency, thus replacing the British pound.

Kovač concluded that World War I marked America's powerful emergence onto the world stage, establishing a dependency of European nations on the U.S. that persisted through World War II. He also touched upon the interwar period, the creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, and the persistent French fear of Germany, a sentiment he suggested also affects Britain, albeit to a lesser extent.

“

World War I helped Americans to strongly step onto the world political scene and already then made European countries dependent on the U.S.