The Powers of the Future

Winners and Losers in Tomorrow’s World
Original title: Die Mächte der Zukunft
Helmut Schmidt
Siedler Verlag, Random Bertelsmann
September 2004
240 pp.


Book Description:
At the start of the new millennium, the world is facing radical upheaval: globalisation, national and international conflicts and, not least, the much touted ‘Clash of Civilisations’ are the themes that preoccupy us today. The political paths forged now will dictate what happens in generations to come. What will the world look like in fifteen to twenty years? In his new book Helmut Schmidt, former Federal Chancellor and one of the great elder statesmen of the German Federal Republic, formulates an answer to this question that is as far sighted as it is profound.

Our world is fundamentally different from that of the twentieth century, with its two world wars and the conflict between east and west. But where are the changes? Which facts give rise to prognoses? What can we know about the future – and what remains uncertain? What can we do – and what should we do? If we want to understand the global dimensions of the problems to be dealt with, we firstly have to break down the eurocentric view of things.

Helmut Schmidt thus describes the interests, concerns and hopes of the influential centres of world politics from a variety of perspectives. His analysis compares the interests of Washington, Moscow and Peking with those of the Islamic world, Black Africa and India. He devotes particular attention to the conflict between the USA and the Islamic world – a confrontation that started long before September 11th, and whose blazing source is essentially the situation in Palestine.

The author also directs his attention to developments in European integration. Since Maastricht and the agreement to introduce a common currency, those in charge in Paris, Berlin and elsewhere have not done enough to bring about a unified continent. A Europe that is in no position to bundle all its interests together and to represent them with one strong voice finds itself facing an America in which imperialism and missionary fervour join together to form one unholy alliance. Will European unity last? Was the Iraq war the beginning of the end of American unilateralism? Is this desirable? Is this probable? How could things develop – and how should they develop?

In his book, Helmut Schmidt describes first and foremost a worst case scenario; he delivers a dark prognosis based on the current world situation. But he also casts a more optimistic light on our future, which takes account of the alternatives he proposes here. The author spent a good deal of time on the ground-work for this book. In 2003 he spent prolonged periods in the USA and China, where he discussed the themes analysed here with the politicians responsible for those particular areas. His portrayals are, moreover, based on current statistical and political data.

About Author:
Gemälde: Bernahrd Heisig “Portrat von Bundeskanzler Helmut Schmidt, 1986”


Helmut Schmidt was born in 1918 in Hamburg. He became a member of the Federal German Parliament in 1953 and held several posts between 1969-1974. From 1974-1982 he was Federal Chancellor. Since then he has edited the weekly newspaper Die Zeit. He has published numerous books, including the bestsellers Menschen und Mächte [Humans and Power] (1987) and Weggefährten [Companions on my Journey] (1996), both of which are published by Siedler.