Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Germany: Reluctant military giant?
The Bundeswehr [ˈbʊn dəsˌvɛər] is Germany’s armed forces, civil administration, and procurement authorities. There are about 200,000 actives and reserve soldiers, the second largest force in the European Union after France. Their budget is limited to 1.2% of their economic force, GDP, which is far lower the NATO’s 2.0% target expenditures, but is slightly higher than that of Japan’s 1.0%.
Germany’s presence and influence in EU have been rising not only in economy but also in defense at a time when one of the key members of the union is leaving, and also the commitment of their long-term guardian, the USA, has become shaky under the current administration.
Should their armed forces be reinforced to play more roles in peace keeping efforts in Europe and beyond? Are nuclear weapons really unthinkable and unsayable option?
Enjoy reading and learning what Germany’s post-war military forces are like.
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