The Maple Leaf as Guiding Star: What Germany can Learn from Canadian Foreign Policy

Twenty five years after its reunification, Germany is still searching for its role in international relations. Due to its violent past, the country struggles to find the right balance between its international responsibility and its reluctance to use military power. Likewise, Canadian people perceive themselves as peace-loving. Nevertheless, Canada has been deeply committed to peace-keeping missions and has also been willing to use military power as ultima ratio. However, unlike Germany, Canada has managed to develop independent guidelines for its foreign policy actions. This paper aims to answer the question, if Canada can be an example for German foreign policy. Thus, the paper compares the countries behavior in the 2003 Iraq War and during the military intervention in Libya in 2011. By analyzing the surrounding discourse, it uncovers the underlying self-image and answers the question, in how far the Canadian example can be valuable for Germany.