German Military Reform and European Security

by Sarotte,Mary Elise

• ISBN13: 9780198515647
• ISBN10: 0198515642
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2001-12-31
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the German military (the Bundeswehr) has faced, and mastered, a series of singular situations: unexpected German reunification, the need to absorb the East German People's Army (NVA), and calls for German out-of-area deployments. Yet now the Bundeswehr must surmount another formidable obstacle: reforming itself. The book explores the context, content and possible consequences of German military reform. Although the government of Gerhard Schroder recognizes the need for change, the actual reform process has been powerfully influenced by a combination of financial, political and societal constraints. Germany never stopped prioritizing traditional homeland defense and remains deeply committed to conscription. As a result, the reform process to date suggests that Germany will be unable to meet allied expectations in the international struggle against terrorism, let alone its own declaratory commitment to the strengthening of European defense capabilities.

Table of Contents

Glossary	7	(9)
Introduction	9	(6)
The Context of the Security Debate in Germany	15	(18)
Lack of a Sense of Urgency	16	(2)
Resistance to Pressure from Abroad	18	(2)
Limited Top-Level Interest	20	(2)
Sustained Support for Conscription	22	(6)
Differing Risk Prioritisation	28	(2)
Summary	30	(3)
The Content of Bundeswehr Reform	33	(20)
Three Reform Proposals: The Weizsacker, Kirchbach, and Scharping Reports	34	(8)
Troubling Questions of Financing	42	(3)
Reform Implementation	45	(3)
The Arms Industry and German Procurement	48	(4)
Summary: The State of Bundeswehr Reform	52	(1)
The Consequences of German Military Reform for ESDP and NATO	53	(12)
The Status of ESDP	53	(4)
Implications of Bundeswehr Reform for ESDP	57	(2)
Implications of Bundeswehr Reform for NATO	59	(3)
Summary	62	(3)
Conclusion German Military Reform and European Security	65	(6)
Policy Implications for Germany's Allies	65	(3)
Increasing the Pressure or Lowering Expectations?	68	(3)
Appendix	71	(10)
Notes	81