June 8, 2004: The D-Day celebrations on the 60th anniversary of the historic Normandy landing provided the German press an opportunity to reflect on the strain in relations between Europe and the United States. The "Süddeutsche Zeitung" commented on the situation in an editorial titled "The mortal gods":

"There were millions of people in Europe who had longed for this day and who drew strength from it to continue ... the appearance of the tall, well-fed, casual U. S. soldiers [was compared] to the landing of the gods on Europe's shores: A free breed of people – generous, kind, noble, unaffected by Europe's hate – came from the new world, not only to free the old world, but also to heal her of her crimes.

"Of course, these mortal gods paid a terrible price in blood on the day of the invasion and in the following weeks ... the survivors still talk today with tears in their eyes about their fallen comrades, who often died just a few meters away. But most have the feeling that the sacrifices of battle were worth it. Europe was freed from a terrible tyranny, and as a result of the American victory and the ensuing aid Europe was changed in its entire being.

"The years of the fight against Hitler were, as Thomas Mann once said reflectively, a good time for the soul because it was a morally clear time. This clarity made it possible in the first place for the Americans to take the great sacrifice of the war upon themselves – otherwise they would never have mingled in Europe's quarrels ...

"The celebrations on this weekend for the 60th anniversary of the invasion take place in a depressingly different constellation. The acceptance of the German chancellor among the celebrants once again underscores the clear victory of the west in 1945. But the mood of ten years ago right after the victory in the Cold War is gone. That victory left the United States as the only world power. At the same time, Russia's loss of strength reduced the pressure on Europeans to lean on America. The forces that bind the West have decreased.

"The U.S.A. has contributed a lot to that in recent years. The image of the American soldier has never been so besmirched in the history of the United States. The war against Saddam Hussein was clearly in violation of international law and thereby subject to greater moral requirements – as a battle for democratic values and desired ways of life. But a mixture of dilettantism, arrogance and lack of interest for foreign culture has made a failure out of the Iraq adventure ...

"On this weekend in Normandy, George W. Bush will try to regain some of the moral force of the days 60 years ago and to renew the idea of a west that spans the Atlantic ... Europeans can only hope that America gets back in this [moral] shape. The English historian Niall Ferguson has just written a brilliant analysis 'Imperium denied' showing the dangers of America retreating within itself: a world state of international loss of order such as there has not been in centuries.

"American moralism in the form of para-religious fundamentalism is a threatening stance for the world. But without the American sense of mission entire regions of the world would sink into greater chaos. June 6 gives Europeans a timely job: They have to remind the American giant gone hysterical of his better self, his lawfulness and nonchalance, his liberal optimism with which he once won the world."

In its editorial "Lessons from D-Day", the "Nürnberger Nachrichten" had this to say about the historic weekend:

"It was a day that changed the world. June 6, 1944 is not only the historic date when 150,000 Allied soldiers landed in Normandy in the greatest amphibious landing in history and began to free France from its German occupation. As we know today, 'D-Day' changed the political and military balance far beyond Europe, and the tangible results are still visible some 60 years later.

"Military historians may argue over which event is the real turning point of World War II – whether it the Russian victories in Stalingrad and west of Moscow contributed more to taking down the Wehrmacht. One thing is for sure: the Normandy landing sealed the collapse of Hitler-Germany and gave Europe its current contour. Without American soldiers on the continent, without the speedy conquest of western Germany by allied troops, the advance of the Red Army to the Rhine would have been unstoppable and there would not have been a Federal Republic of Germany. The face of Europe would look different.

"Europe's liberation from the Nazis would hardly have been possible without American GIs and without the gigantic armament shipments from the U.S.A to the drained Soviets and British. America did not only change the old world – it, too, was changed. With the Normandy invasion the United States indisputably assumed the leadership role in the west. 60 years later it is the only remaining superpower on the globe – simultaneously controversial, powerful and helpless.

"June 6, 2004 is therefore not only a day of remembrance, but also day of reflection for the Americans and their allies. For nothing is the same as it once was. America's soldiers are no longer celebrated as liberators. The GIs in Iraq are met with raw hate and the superpower has incurred the anger of the Moslem world. Even traditional allies turn away in disappointment from their former example. Transatlantic relations have reached a low point, as has the moral standing of the U.S.A. ever since the pictures of torture from Abu Ghraib circulated around the world.

"During these days George W. Bush likes to invoke the 'spirit of 1944', with which American soldiers 'first freed Europe and now Iraq.' But his obvious attempt to link both wars (and himself with Roosevelt) is actually embarassing. For one thing, the Nazi barbarity was unique historically, making any comparison with Saddam Hussein erroneous. And through the Normandy landing Roosevelt really did bring peace to Europe and create the prerequisites for a more just world order. By intervening militarily in Iraq, Bush has done peace a disservice, contributed to further destabilization of the explosive Middle East and made the battle against terror – the greatest threat to freedom and democracy today – more difficult" (June 5, 2004).