Aggressors who hurtle into war often find themselves crawling only cautiously back towards international acceptance. Their victims, even when they are quick to forgive, can be slow to forget. Suspicions linger, like the smell of woodsmoke long after a fire has died. Trust, once broken, can be as tricky to rebuild as a shattered glass.

So there can be no more heartening proof that Germany has regained that trust than its move to award a new decoration for bravery to four German soldiers — the first such honour since the Second World War. The presentation by Chancellor Angela Merkel marks a potent moment in Germany’s return to the heart of the community of nations. When Germany once again has the confidence proudly to parade its military heroes, its journey from the darkness of diplomatic and military purdah — via reunification in 1990 — is surely complete.

Although Germany and Japan were welcomed back into the international community after the Second World War, their military reach has been beadily monitored. Until recently, the armies of both nations were framed as self-defence forces. Germany and Japan have wrestled with their constitutional consciences before deploying even military medics to UN- and Nato-led missions.

Germany’s new medal, the Honour Cross, stands as a bold response to the growing role played in the world by German military. The first four soldiers to receive the award were honoured for dragging comrades and children to safety after a suicide attack in Afghanistan, where Germany has 3,830 troops serving as part of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force. By changing how it sees itself, Germany has changed the way the rest of the world sees it.

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