In view of Germany's hopeless military situation, the following must be borne in mind in the formulation of future German foreign policy.
Germany cannot bring about a change in her present situation by herself, so far as this must ensue by means of military power. Germany cannot hope that a change of her situation will emerge through measures taken by the League Of Nations, as long as the determining representatives of this institution are at the same time the parties interested in Germany's destruction. Germany cannot hope to change her present situation through a combination of powers which brings her into conflict with the French system of alliances surrounding Germany, without first acquiring the possibility of eliminating her sheer military powerlessness so that, in case the commitments of the alliance go into effect, she may be able to come forward immediately with the prospect of military success
Germany cannot hope to find such a combination of powers as long as her ultimate foreign policy aim does not seem clearly established, and, at the same time does not contradict the interests of those States which can be considered in terms of an alliance with Germany -- indeed, even appear serviceable to them.
Germany cannot hope that these States can be found outside the League Of Nations. On the contrary, her only hope must consist in her eventual success in extricating individual States from the coalition of victor States, and building a new group of interested parties with new aims which cannot be realised through the League Of Nations because of its whole nature. Germany may only hope to achieve success in this way if she finally renounces her former vacillating seesaw policy, and fundamentally decides upon a single direction, and at the same time assumes and bears all the consequences.
Germany should never hope to make
world history through alliances with nations whose military value seems
sufficiently characterised by the fact of their former defeats, or whose
general racial importance, is inferior. For the struggle for the regaining
of German freedom will thereby again raise German history to the level
of world history. Germany should never forget for a moment that regardless
how, and along what ways, she thinks to change her fate, France will be
her enemy, and that France from the outset can count on any combination
of powers that turns against Germany.