The (, Federal Defence) are the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or Streitkräfte) and a civil part. The military part consists of the four armed forces: German Army, German Navy, German Air Force and Cyber and Information Domain Service, which are supported by the Bundeswehr Joint Support Command.

, the had a strength of 186,221 active-duty military personnel and 81,205 civilians, placing it among the 30 largest military forces in the world, and making it the second largest in the European Union behind France. In addition, the has approximately 860,000 reserve personnel (2025). With the German military budget at $127 billion (€108.2 billion) for 2026, NATO's revised spending guidelines call for 3.5% of GDP allocated to defence and an additional 1.5% to critical infrastructure resilience, a threshold endorsed at the 2025 Hague summit. Germany is aiming to expand the to around 203,000 soldiers by 2031 to better cope with increasing responsibilities.

Following concerns from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Germany announced a major shift in policy, pledging a €100 billion ($116.344 billion) special fund for the Bundeswehrto remedy years of underinvestmentalong with raising the budget to above 2% GDP.

History

Founding principles

The name was first proposed by former Wehrmacht general and Liberal politician Hasso von Manteuffel. The Iron Cross (Eisernes Kreuz), a symbol that has a long association with the military of Germany, is its official emblem. The Schwarzes Kreuz is derived from the black cross insignia of the medieval Teutonic knights; since 1813 the symbol has been used to denote a military decoration for all ranks.

When the was established in 1955, its founding principles were based on developing a completely new military force for the defence of West Germany. In this respect the did not consider itself to be a successor to either the Reichswehr (1921–1935) of the Weimar Republic or Hitler's Wehrmacht (1935–1945), and did not adhere to the traditions of any former German military organization. Its official ethos is based on three major themes:

  • The aims of the military reformers at the beginning of the 19th century such as Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Clausewitz
  • The conduct displayed by members of the military resistance against Adolf Hitler, especially the attempt of Claus von Stauffenberg and Henning von Tresckow to assassinate him.
  • Its own military traditions set in 1955.

thumb|Generals [[Adolf Heusinger and Hans Speidel being sworn into the newly founded by Theodor Blank on 12 November 1955]]

thumb|A [[Großer Zapfenstreich at the Federal Ministry of Defense in Bonn in 2002]]

One of the most visible traditions of the modern is the Großer Zapfenstreich. This is a form of military tattoo that has its origins in the landsknecht era. The FRG reinstated this formal military ceremony in 1952, three years before the foundation of the . Today it is performed by a military band with 4 fanfare trumpeters and timpani, a corps of drums, up to two escort companies of the 's Wachbataillon (or another deputized unit) and torchbearers. The Zapfenstreich is only performed during national celebrations or solemn public commemorations. It can honour distinguished persons present such as the German Federal President, or provide the conclusion to large military exercises.

Another important tradition in the modern German armed forces is the Gelöbnis: the solemn oath made by serving professional soldiers, and recruits (and formerly conscripts) during basic training. There are two kinds of oath: a pledge for recruits, and a solemn vow for full-time personnel.

The pledge is made annually on 20 July, the date on which a group of Wehrmacht officers attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944. Recruits from the 's Wachbataillon make their vow at the Bendlerblock in Berlin. This was the headquarters of the resistance and also where the officers were summarily executed following the failure of the assassination attempt on Hitler. National commemorations are held nearby within the grounds of the Reichstag. Similar events also take place across the German Republic. Since 2011, when conscription was suspended, the wording of the ceremonial vow for full-time recruits and volunteer personnel is:

::"Ich gelobe, der Bundesrepublik Deutschland treu zu dienen und das Recht und die Freiheit des deutschen Volkes tapfer zu verteidigen."

:::

Serving personnel replace "Ich gelobe, ..." with "Ich schwöre, ..." ("I swear...").

Cold War: 1955–1990

thumb|The Federal Republic of Germany joined [[NATO in 1955.]]

After World War II the responsibility for the security of Germany as a whole rested with the four occupying Allied Powers: the United States, the United Kingdom, France and the Soviet Union. Germany had been without armed forces since the Wehrmacht was dissolved following World War II. When the Federal Republic of Germany was founded in 1949, it was without a military. Germany remained completely demilitarized and any plans for a German military were forbidden by Allied regulations.

Some naval mine-sweeping units such as the German Mine Sweeping Administration (Deutscher Minenräumdienst) continued to exist, but they remained unarmed and under Allied control and did not serve as a national defence force. The Federal Border Protection (Bundesgrenzschutz), a mobile, lightly armed police force of 10,000 men, was formed on 14 March 1951 and expanded to 20,000 men on 19 June 1953. A proposal to integrate West German troops with soldiers of France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Italy in a European Defence Community was proposed but never implemented.

There was a discussion among the United States, the United Kingdom and France over the issue of a revived (West) German military. In particular, France was reluctant to allow Germany to rearm in light of recent history (Germany had invaded France twice in living memory, in World War I and World War II, and also defeated France in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71). However, after the project for a European Defence Community failed in the French National Assembly in 1954, France agreed to West German accession to NATO and rearmament.

thumb|[[Leopard 2 tanks]]

With growing tensions between the Soviet Union and the West, especially after the Korean War, this policy was to be revised. While the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was already secretly rearming, the seeds of a new West German force started in 1950 when former high-ranking German officers were tasked by Chancellor Konrad Adenauer to discuss the options for West German rearmament. The results of a meeting in the monastery of Himmerod formed the conceptual base to build the new armed forces in West Germany.

The Amt Blank (Blank Agency, named after its director Theodor Blank), the predecessor of the later Federal Ministry of Defence, was formed the same year to prepare the establishment of the future forces. Hasso von Manteuffel, a former general of the Wehrmacht and Free Democratic Party politician, submitted the name for the new forces. This name was later confirmed by the West German Bundestag.

The was officially established on the 200th birthday of Scharnhorst on 12 November 1955. In personnel and education terms, the most important initial feature of the new German armed forces was to be their orientation as citizen defenders of a democratic state, fully subordinate to the political leadership of the country. A personnel screening committee was created to make sure that the future colonels and generals of the armed forces were those whose political attitude and experience would be acceptable to the new democratic state. There were a few key reformers, such as General Ulrich de Maiziere, General Graf von Kielmansegg, and Graf von Baudissin, who reemphasised some of the more democratic parts of Germany's armed forces history in order to establish a solid civil-military basis to build upon.

thumb|alt=A flying MiG 29 seen from above. The cross-shaped roundel of the Luftwaffe is painted on the left wing.|The was the first NATO member to use the Soviet-built [[MiG 29 jet, taken over from the former East German Air Force after reunification.]]

After an amendment of the Basic Law in 1955, West Germany became a member of NATO. The first public military review took place at Andernach, in January 1956. In 1956, conscription for all men between the ages of 18 and 45 was reintroduced, later augmented by a civil alternative with longer duration (see Conscription in Germany). In response, East Germany formed its own military force, the Nationale Volksarmee (NVA), in 1956, with conscription being established only in 1962. The Nationale Volksarmee was eventually dissolved with the reunification of Germany in 1990. Compulsory conscription was suspendedbut not completely abolished as an alternativein January 2011.

During the Cold War the was the backbone of NATO's conventional defence in Central Europe. It had a strength of 495,000 military and 170,000 civilian personnel. Although Germany had smaller armed forces than France and the United States, Cold War historian John Lewis Gaddis assesses the as "perhaps (the) world's best army". The Army consisted of three corps with 12 divisions, most of them heavily armed with tanks and APCs. The Luftwaffe owned significant numbers of tactical combat aircraft and took part in NATO's integrated air defence (NATINAD). The Navy was tasked and equipped to defend the Baltic Approaches, to provide escort reinforcement and resupply shipping in the North Sea and to contain the Soviet Baltic Fleet.

During the Soviet–Afghan War in the 1980s, German special forces of the Bundeswehr were deployed as part of a covert operation. During this time, Operation Summer Rain played a significant role. The German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) conducted this secret mission, where special forces were infiltrated from West Germany to Pakistan and then into Afghanistan.

The primary task of these special units was to clandestinely acquire Soviet weapon technology, including armor for combat helicopters, vehicles, landmines, modern ammunition such as uranium rounds, rocket warheads, night vision devices, and navigation technology. Collaboration with the insurgent Mujahideen was central to this covert operation.

During this time the did not take part in combat operations. However, there were a number of large-scale training exercises resulting in operational casualties. The first such incident was in June 1957, when 15 paratroop recruits drowned in the Iller river, Bavaria.

German Reunification 1990

thumb|At a festive event on German Unity Day, Federal Defense Minister [[Gerhard Stoltenberg takes over command of the armed forces of the former GDR.]]

At the time of reunification, the German military boasted a manpower of some 585,000 soldiers. This would be Germany's contribution to the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, and the restrictions would enter into force at the time the CFE treaty would. As a result, the was significantly reduced, and the former East German Nationale Volksarmee (NVA) was disbanded at the moment of German reunification, with a portion of its personnel and materiel being absorbed into the .

thumb|thumbtime=32|A [[Eurofighter Typhoon of the Luftwaffe]]

About 50,000 Volksarmee personnel were integrated into the on 2 October 1990. This figure was rapidly reduced as conscripts and short-term volunteers completed their service. A number of senior officers (but no generals or admirals) received limited contracts for up to two years to continue daily operations. Personnel remaining in the were awarded new contracts and new ranks, dependent on their individual qualification and experience. Many were granted and accepted a lower rank than previously held in the Volksarmee.

In general, the unification process of the two militariesunder the slogan "Armee der Einheit" (or "Army of Unity")has been seen publicly as a major success and an example for other parts of the society.

With the reduction, a large amount of the military hardware of the , as well as of the Volksarmee, had to be disposed of. Most of the armoured vehicles and fighter jet aircraft (the Bundesluftwaffedue to reunificationwas the only air force in the world that flew both Phantoms and MIGs) were dismantled under international disarmament procedures. Many ships were scrapped or sold, often to the Baltic states or Indonesia (the latter received 39 former Volksmarine vessels of various types).

With reunification, all restrictions on the manufacture and possession of conventional arms that had been imposed on the as a condition for West German rearmament were lifted.

Since 1996, Germany also has its own special forces, the Kommando Spezialkräfte (Special Forces Command). It was formed after German citizens had to be rescued from the Rwandan genocide by Belgian Para-Commandos as the Special Commands of the Federal Police were not capable of operating in a war zone.

Reorientation

A major event for the German military was a series of defense spending cuts and the suspension of the compulsory conscription for men in 2011. These were introduced by Chancellor Angela Merkel and Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble as part of austerity measures in response to the Great Recession and the European debt crisis. In 2011/12, a major reform of the was announced under Thomas de Maizière, further limiting the number of military bases and soldiers. The land forces of the Bundeswehr would have three large units at divisional level. There are currently five. The number of brigades decreased from eleven to eight.

German military expenditures are lower than comparable countries such as the United Kingdom, or countries of the European Union such as France, especially when taking into account Germany's larger population and economy. This discrepancy is often criticized by Germany's NATO allies, as far back as Obama-era US Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates.

As one result of the 2014 NATO Wales summit which was attended by both Merkel and Ursula von der Leyen in September 2014, the acknowledged in October chronic equipment problems that rendered its armed forces "unable to deliver its defensive NATO promises". Among the problems cited were dysfunctional weapons systems, armored vehicles, aircraft, and naval vessels unfit for immediate service due to a neglect of maintenance, and serious equipment and spare parts shortages. The situation was so dire in 2016 that it was acknowledged that most of Germany's fighter aircraft and combat helicopters were not in deployable condition, although the Air Force had almost 38,000 soldiers,

In 2015, as a result of the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, Germany announced what was termed "a major increase" in defense spending. In May 2015, the German government approved an increase in defense spending, at the time 1.3% of GDP, by 6.2% over the following five years, allowing the Ministry of Defense to fully modernize the army. The 2015 reform set a required strength of 185,000 soldiers. Germany considered increasing the size of the army, and in May 2016 it announced it would spend €130 billion on new equipment by 2030 and add nearly 7,000 soldiers by 2023 in the first German military expansion since the end of the Cold War. In February 2017, the German government announced another expansion, which would increase the number of its professional soldiers by 20,000 by 2024.

As of May 2025, the Bundeswehr is permanently stationing a full armored brigade abroad for the first time in its postwar history. The 45th Panzer Brigade "Litauen" based in Lithuania, is part of Germany's broader Zeitenwende strategy to reinforce NATO's eastern flank and transition from rotational deployments to structural forward presence. The brigade is expected to include 2,000 personnel by 2026, with additional supporting infrastructure provided jointly with Lithuania.

Coordination with European partners

As a consequence of improved Dutch-German cooperation, since 2014 two of the three Royal Netherlands Army Brigades are under German Command. In 2014, the 11th Airmobile Brigade was integrated into the German Division of fast forces (DSK). The Dutch 43rd Mechanized Brigade will be assigned to the 1st Panzer Division of the German army, with the integration starting at the beginning of 2016, and the unit becoming operational at the end of 2019. In February 2016 it was announced that the Seebatallion of the German Navy would start to operate under Royal Dutch Navy command. The Dutch-German military cooperation was seen in 2016 by von der Leyen and Dutch Minister of Defence Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert as an example for setting up a European defense union.

A further proposal by Minister of Defence Ursula von der Leyen, to allow non-German EU nationals to join the , was met in July 2016 by strong opposition, even from her own party.

It was announced in February 2017 that the Czech Republic's 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade and Romania's 81st Mechanized Brigade would be integrated into Germany's 10 Armoured Division and Rapid Response Forces Division. The 4 RDB-10 PD link is not an isolated Czech–German initiative. It sits beside:

  • Netherlands – three brigades integrated into German divisions since 2016.
  • Romania – 9th Mechanised Brigade tied to the Bundeswehr's Rapid Response Forces Division.
  • Lithuania (2025) – standing up Panzer Brigade 45 under 10 PD for the new German permanent brigade in Rūdninkai.

At the end of February 2022, in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a plan to increase the power of the German military, pledging €100 billion ($112.7 billion) of the 2022 budget for the armed forces and repeating his promise to reach the 2% of gross domestic product spending on defense in line with (as editorialized by Deutsche Welle) NATO "demands".

According to information from defense politicians of the federal German parliament, representatives of the armaments industry and other experts, in October 2022 the Bundeswehr only had enough ammunition in stock for one or two days during wartime. A report made by the Ministry of Defence revealed problems in the such as limited preparedness and lack of equipment. In the letter accompanying the report which was sent to the federal German parliament, the Minister of Defence noted that the situation would improve but "closing the gaps takes time".

In 2025, the new government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz passed laws to further significantly expand the Bundeswehr, both in materiel and personnel. The annual military budget of Germany is to grow from ~2% of its GDP in 2025 to 3.5% in 2029. In October 2025, the Federal Ministry of Defence consolidated its procurement planning into a single framework totalling approximately €377 billion across roughly 320 programmes spanning air, naval, land, air defence, ammunition, and C4ISR domains. A new push to gain more volunteers and mechanisms for compulsory drafting in case these efforts are insufficient ("Nordic model") have been announced to come into force on January 1, 2026. The goal is to reach a number of 260,000 of active Bundeswehr personnel, a 30% increase from its 2025 number.

In April 2026, Germany unveiled its first standalone military strategy since the Second World War, titled "Verantwortung für Europa" (Responsibility for Europe), presented by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on 22 April. The strategy package included a new capability profile, a personnel growth plan, a revised reserve strategy, and an administrative reform agenda of 153 concrete measures. Russia was identified as the primary threat, and the strategy adopted a "one theatre approach" treating NATO territory, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific as interconnected security spaces.

Organisation

History of organisation

With the growing number of missions abroad it was recognized that the required a new command structure. A reform commission under the chairmanship of the former President Richard von Weizsäcker presented its recommendations in spring 2000.

In October 2000 the Joint Support Service, the Streitkräftebasis, was established to concentrate logistics and other supporting functions such as military police, supply and communications under one command. 2025, the Joint Support Service was dissolved and its commands and departments reassigned to the Joint Support Command. Medical support was reorganised with the establishment of the Joint Medical Service. In 2016, the created its youngest branch the Cyber and Information Space Command.

Senior leadership

The Minister of Defence is supported by the Chief of Defense (CHOD, Generalinspekteur) and the service chiefs (Inspekteure: Inspector of the Army, Inspector of the Air Force, Inspector of the Navy) and their respective staffs in his or her function as commander-in-chief. The CHOD and the service chiefs form the Military Command Council (Militärischer Führungsrat) with functions similar to those of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the United States. Subordinate to the CHOD is the Armed Forces Operational Command (Einsatzführungskommando). For smaller missions one of the service HQs (e.g. the Fleet Command) may exercise command and control of forces in missions abroad. The Bundestag must approve any foreign deployment by a simple majority. This has led to some discontent with Germany's allies about troop deployments e.g. in Afghanistan since parliamentary consent over such issues is relatively hard to achieve in Germany.

Combat forces

The combat forces of the Army are organised into three combat divisions and participate in multi-national command structures at the corps level. The Air Force maintains three divisions and the Navy is structured into two flotillas. The Joint Support Command and the Joint Medical Service are both organized in four regional commands of identical structure. All of these services also have general commands for training, procurement, and other general issues.

thumb|left|A [[German Navy Sachsen-class frigate]]

Operational Command

The Armed Forces Operational Command (Einsatzführungskommando der Bundeswehr) is the only joint military command of the Bundeswehr. It controls all missions abroad. The command is located at Henning von Tresckow Kaserne (Schwielowsee) near Potsdam and is headed by a Generalleutnant (3-star general).

Mission

thumb|[[German Army soldiers in Afghanistan in front of Dingo infantry mobility vehicles, 2009]]

The role of the is described in the Constitution of Germany (Art. 87a) as absolutely defensive only. Its only active role before 1990 was the Katastropheneinsatz (disaster control). Within the , it helped after natural disasters both in Germany and abroad. After 1990, the international situation changed from east–west confrontation to one of general uncertainty and instability.

After a ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court in 1994 the term "defence" has been defined to not only include protection of the borders of Germany, but also crisis reaction and conflict prevention, or more broadly as guarding the security of Germany anywhere in the world. According to the definition given by Defence Minister Peter Struck (2002 to 2005), it may be necessary to defend Germany even at the Hindu Kush. This requires the to take part in operations outside of the borders of Germany, as part of NATO or the European Union and mandated by the UN.

Military spending

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 93%;"

! style="text-align: left" width=100px |

! style="text-align: left" width=100px |1990

! style="text-align: left" width=100px |1991

! style="text-align: left" width=100px |1992

! style="text-align: left" width=100px |1993

! style="text-align: left" width=100px |1994

! style="text-align: left" width=100px |1995

! style="text-align: left" width=100px |1996

! style="text-align: left" width=100px |1997

! style="text-align: left" width=100px |1998

! style="text-align: left" width=100px |1999

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! style="text-align: left" |Yearly budget

<small>(in % of the GDP)</small>

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! style="text-align: left" |2010

! style="text-align: left" |2011

! style="text-align: left" |2012

! style="text-align: left" |2013

! style="text-align: left" |2014

! style="text-align: left" |2015

! style="text-align: left" |2016

! style="text-align: left" |2017

! style="text-align: left" |2018

! style="text-align: left" |2019

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! style="text-align: left" |Yearly budget

<small>(in billion €)</small>

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! style="text-align: left" |Yearly budget

<small>(in % of the GDP)</small>

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<small>( special fund)</small>

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<small>( special fund)</small>

|

<small>( special fund)</small>

| style="text-align: left; |

<small>( special fund)</small>

| style="text-align: left;background: #FFE18B" |

<small>( special fund)</small>

| style="text-align: left;background: #FFE18B" |

| style="text-align: left;background: #FFE18B" |

| style="text-align: left;background: #FFE18B" |—

| style="text-align: left;background: #FFE18B" |>

Equipment

Lists of equipment

Equipment of the army

See also:

Equipment of the air force

See also:

Equipment of the navy

See also:

Planned investments

As of October 2025, the Federal Ministry of Defence manages a consolidated procurement framework totalling approximately €377 billion across roughly 320 programmes. Of this, approximately €83 billion in contracts were expected to be signed by end-2026; the remainder represents programmatic intent dependent on future parliamentary appropriations. Estimated allocations by domain include:

  • Combat vehicles: €52.5 billion
  • Munitions: €70.3 billion
  • Vehicles and accessories: €20.8 billion
  • Communications equipment: €15.9 billion
  • Field and logistics material: €20.9 billion
  • Aircraft and missiles: €34.2 billion
  • Satellite communications: €13.3 billion
  • Naval vessels and other equipment: €36.6 billion

Appearance

Uniforms

thumb|German Army signallers in service uniforms

The service uniform is theoretically the standard type of uniform for general duty and off-post activity, but is most associated with ceremonial occasions. The army's service uniform consists of a light grey, single-breasted coat and darker grey trousers, worn with a light blue shirt, black tie, and black shoes. In all three services, light sand-coloured uniforms are available for duty in warmer climates.

A different, traditional variety of the service uniform is worn by the Gebirgsjäger (mountain infantry), consisting of ski jacket, stretch trousers, and ski boots. Instead of the beret, they wear the grey "mountain cap". The field uniform is the same, except for the (optional) metal Edelweiss worn on the forage cap.

thumb|A German infantryman stands at the ready with his [[Heckler & Koch G36 during a practice exercise in 2004 as U.S. troops watch in the background. All rifles in the photo are equipped with blank firing adapters.]]

The traditional arm-of-service colours appear as lapel facings and as piping on shoulder straps.

Rank structure

;Officers

{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin:0 12px 12px 0;"

|}

;NCOs and enlisted

{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin:0 12px 12px 0;"

|}

Recruitment

With the suspension of compulsory military service in 2011 and the reorientation of the Bundeswehr, the military district recruiting offices were dissolved effective 30 November 2012. Their tasks were taken over by the newly created career centers of the Bundeswehr.

The career centers of the Bundeswehr are the armed forces main way of presenting itself as a nationwide employer for both military and civilian careers.

In the structure of the Bundeswehr's personnel recruitment organization adopted in 2019, there are five large career centers in Hanover, Mainz, Düsseldorf, Munich and Berlin with assessment centers. There are 16 smaller, regional career centers, of which only those in Wilhelmshaven, Stuttgart and Erfurt have an assessment center. The 110 career counseling offices belonging to the career centers are combined with 86 location teams of the career development service to form 113 counseling offices.

The Bundeswehr offers numerous career paths:

  • Voluntary military service (FWD) in Germany is an employment relationship for soldiers in a career of the lower rank Bundeswehr personnel. It lasts at least 7 and at most 23 months. Its legal status is similar to that of conscripts.
  • A temporary soldier (abbreviated SaZ, colloquially called Zeitsoldat) is a soldier who voluntarily agrees to perform military service for a limited time. A SaZ can enter all three categories (enlisted, non-commissioned officers and officers). SaZ recruited as NCOs and officers undergo general military, career and specialty training. The regular commitment period is a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 25 years, but may not extend beyond the age of 62.
  • Professional soldiers for life (Berufssoldat) are selected from the group of temporary soldiers. In contrast to temporary soldiers, professional soldiers don't have contractual commitment periods but serve until retirement. The age of retirement varies with rank. It is possible for a professional soldier to ask for early discharge or to revert to temporal service.
  • Career in the Reserve: There are multiple career paths in the reserve of the armed forces for officers, NCOs, and enlisted personnel, as well as for civilians who have no prior military training.

Awards

  • Badge of Honour of the Bundeswehr
  • Combat Action Medal of the Bundeswehr
  • German Armed Forces Badge of Marksmanship
  • German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency
  • German Armed Forces Service Medal
  • German Flood Service Medal (2002)
  • German Flood Service Medal (2013)
  • German Parachutist Badge

See also

  • Controversy over Erwin Rommel as Bundeswehr<nowiki/>'s role model
  • Day X plot, alleged conspiracy of Bundeswehr soldiers to murder left-leaning politicians
  • Lists of military equipment of Germany
  • Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
  • Reichswehr
  • United Nations Training Center of the Bundeswehr
  • Wehrmacht

References

Further reading

In German language

  • Neitzel, Sönke (2025): Die Bundeswehr. Von der Wiederbewaffnung bis zur Zeitenwende. C.H. Beck Wissen

In English language

  • James S. Corum (editor) (2011): Rearming Germany. History of Warfare. Vol. 64. Leiden, Boston,
  • Seppo, Antti (2021). From Guilt to Responsibility and Beyond: The Evolution of German Strategic Culture after the End of the Cold War. Berlin: Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag. .
  • Stengel, Frank A. (2020). The Politics of Military Force: Antimilitarism, Ideational Change, and Post-Cold War German Security Discourse. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press. .
  • Bundeswehr official site
  • Federal Ministry of Defence official site (in German, English and French)
  • Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung official site (in German)
  • Bundesamt für Informationsmanagement und Informationstechnik der Bundeswehr official site (in German)
  • Territoriale Wehrverwaltung official site (in German)
  • Y – Magazine of the Federal Defence Forces (in German)
  • Zeitschrift für Innere Führung (in German)
  • Reader Sicherheitspolitik (in German)