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92-775: It originated in 1983 from the instructional collection of the Panzertruppenschule , the Bundeswehr (German Army) school for training officers and NCOs of German armoured units. It is now a museum open to the public, jointly run by the municipality of Munster and the Lehrsammlung der Panzertruppen und Heeresaufklärungstruppe am Ausbildungszentrum Munster (teaching collections of the armoured combat troops). The museum site covers an area of over 9,000 square metres (97,000 sq ft). including 7,500 square metres (81,000 sq ft) of exhibition halls. In 2003

184-698: A European Defence Community . On 8 February 1952 the Bundestag approved a German contribution to the defense of Western Europe and on 26 February 1954 the Basic Law of the Republic was amended with the insertion of an article regarding the defence of the sovereignty of the federal government. Following a decision at the London Nine Power Conference of 28 September to 3 October 1954, Germany's entry into NATO effective from 9 May 1955

276-790: A certain beret color (except for the mountain troops, who carry a distinctive cap ) and uniform markings in a certain Waffenfarbe , although the combinations might overlap. As part of various reorganizations (such as the creation of the Joint Support Service and the Cyber and Information Domain Service ) and the reductions in size of the Bundeswehr after 1990, several Truppengattungen were dissolved. Waffenfarbe (Army and army support branch only) The rank structure of

368-734: A civil part, the military part consisting of the German Army , the German Navy , the German Air Force , the Joint Support Service , the Joint Medical Service , and the Cyber and Information Domain Service . As of 31 May 2024 , the Bundeswehr had a strength of 180,215 active-duty military personnel and 80,761 civilians, placing it among the 30 largest military forces in the world, and making it

460-521: 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

552-403: A corps of drums, up to two escort companies of the Bundeswehr '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

644-427: A different organisation, for example an armoured brigade would not be expected to contain more tanks than a mechanised one. Further vehicles include: Armoured personnel carrier and fighting vehicles: Trucks: The German Army is divided into several branches, each known as a Truppengattung , which might also be part of a Truppengattungsverbund which includes several Truppengattungen . Each Waffengattung carries

736-689: 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

828-450: A field artillery battalion and a supply battalion. The alpine brigades consisted of three alpine battalions, a mountain artillery battalion and a supply battalion. By 1959 the Heer consisted of 11 divisions of 27 brigades, four Panzer (armoured), four Panzergrenadier (mechanised), two Jäger (motorised), and one Gebirgsjäger (alpine). From roughly 1970 onward, Army Structure 3 saw

920-504: A flight of steps and a ladder in the turret. By its own account the museum does not just want to show tanks as an exhibit of history of technology. With the ongoing reforms it wants to put them in a scientific-historical context. Tanks as technical objects are seen as starting points for broader historical contexts, which the museum wants to the tell of his exhibits in many historical perspectives: as Social , Economic , Political and Cultural History . As an actor in modern military history

1012-531: A former general of the Wehrmacht and Free Democratic Party politician, submitted the name Bundeswehr for the new forces. This name was later confirmed by the West German Bundestag . The Bundeswehr 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

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1104-497: A joint German-Netherlands organization, used to control in peacetime the 1st Panzer and 7th Panzer Divisions as well as Dutch formations. The 1st Panzer would have reported to the corps in wartime while the 7th would be posted to the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps . II Corps was German in peacetime but would have exchanged a division with the V U.S. Corps in time of war (the 5th Panzer ). The 5th Panzer Division

1196-499: A mechanised and mountain division respectively. The non-NATO assigned territorial army formed 10 further territorial defense brigades for rear area security at varying readiness levels, with most units being partially manned in peacetime and others being entirely non-active units with equipment in storage. Brigades in the field army grew to four combat battalions instead of three. Mechanised brigades typically consisted of one Panzer and three Panzergrenadier battalions, of which one

1288-461: 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

1380-709: 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 . At the time of reunification, the German military boasted a manpower of some 585,000 soldiers. As part of the German reunification process, under the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany (Two-Plus Four Treaty), which paved

1472-508: 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

1564-624: 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. 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

1656-536: 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 Bundeswehr 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

1748-478: A successor to the defeated Wehrmacht , but as in the traditions of the Prussian military reformers of 1807 to 1814 and the members of the military resistance during National Socialism, such as the officers which undertook the failed 20 July plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944 . Nevertheless, for lack of alternatives the officer corps was made up largely of former Wehrmacht officers. The first Chief of

1840-547: Is aiming to expand the Bundeswehr to around 203,000 soldiers by 2025 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 special fund for the Bundeswehr ;– to remedy years of underinvestment – along with raising the budget to above 2% GDP . The name Bundeswehr

1932-485: Is based on three major themes: One of the most visible traditions of the modern Bundeswehr 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 Bundeswehr . Today it is performed by a military band with 4 fanfare trumpeters and timpani,

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2024-565: Is located at Henning von Tresckow Kaserne ( Schwielowsee ) near Potsdam and is headed by a Generalleutnant (3-star general). The role of the Bundeswehr 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 Bundeswehr , it helped after natural disasters both in Germany and abroad. After 1990,

2116-471: Is now exhibited with an explanation of how the forgery was discovered and why a museum has to examine its exhibits time and again. Bundeswehr The Bundeswehr ( German: [ˈbʊndəsˌveːɐ̯] , literally Federal Defence ) is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany . The Bundeswehr is divided into a military part (armed forces or Streitkräfte ) and

2208-517: Is structured into two flotillas. The Joint Support Service 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. The Armed Forces Operational Command ( Einsatzführungskommando der Bundeswehr ) is the only joint military command of the Bundeswehr. It controls all missions abroad. The command

2300-409: The Bundeswehr 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

2392-546: The Bundeswehr is also training the new Iraqi security forces in locations outside Iraq, such as the United Arab Emirates and Germany. German Army The German Army ( German : Heer , 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Germany . The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr together with the Marine (German Navy) and

2484-520: The Bundeswehr is to play a greater role as "anchor army" for smaller NATO states, by improving coordination between its divisions and smaller members' Brigades . A further proposal by Minister of Defence Ursula von der Leyen , to allow non-German EU nationals to join the Bundeswehr , was met in July 2016 by strong opposition, even from her own party. It was announced in February 2017 that

2576-566: The Bundeswehr 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 Bundeswehr 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

2668-495: The Bundeswehr 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 militaries – under the slogan " Armee der Einheit " (or "Army of Unity") – has been seen publicly as a major success and an example for other parts of

2760-635: The Bundeswehr 's Wachbataillon make their vow ( Gelöbnis ) 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 attempt. National commemorations are held nearby within the grounds of the Reichstag . Similar events also take place across the German Republic. Since 2011, when conscription

2852-514: The Luftwaffe (German Air Force). As of 2024 , the German Army had a strength of 63,047 soldiers. A German army equipped, organized, and trained following a single doctrine and permanently unified under one command was created in 1871 during the unification of Germany under the leadership of Prussia . From 1871 to 1919, the title Deutsches Heer (German Army) was the official name of

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2944-692: 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 suspended – but not completely abolished as an alternative – in January 2011. During the Cold War the Bundeswehr was the backbone of NATO's conventional defence in Central Europe . It had

3036-621: 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

3128-692: The 6th Panzergrenadier Division when it lost its command function. It would have made up the German contribution to the Multinational Corps Northeast in time of war. IV Corps also used to have under its command the Military District Command I, the 1st Airmobile Brigade , and the Berlin Command ( de:Standortkommando Berlin ). The current structure was assumed with the most recent German Army reform which also suspended conscription by 1 July 2011 and saw

3220-1011: The Army Command ( Kommando Heer ) in Strausberg near Berlin . The training centers are supervised by the Army Training Command in Leipzig . The combat units of the army now include two armoured divisions and the lighter rapid forces division. Unlike other European armies such as neighbouring France, regiments are not a common form of organization and are thus rare in the German army. Battalions and regiments are directly subordinate to brigades or to divisions as divisional troops. German infantry battalions field 1,000 men, considerably larger than most NATO armies. While some brigades are still designated as either Panzer (armour) or Panzergrenadier (mechanised infantry) formations, these names are by now traditional and no longer imply

3312-541: 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 Bundeswehr 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

3404-547: 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. As of 31 December 2022 , the number of active military personnel in the Bundeswehr was 183,051. Military expenditure in Germany was at $ 52.8 billion in 2020. At the end of February 2022, in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine , chancellor Olaf Scholz announced

3496-792: The French National Assembly in 1954, France agreed to West German accession to NATO and rearmament. 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

3588-566: The Great Recession and the European debt crisis . In 2011/12, a major reform of the Bundeswehr 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

3680-497: The Heer absorbed the Nationale Volksarmee , the armed forces of East Germany . The former East German forces were initially controlled by the Bundeswehr Command East under the command of Lieutenant General Jörg Schönbohm and disbanded on 30 June 1991. In the aftermath of the merger, the German Army consisted of four Corps (including IV Corps at Potsdam in the former DDR) with a manpower of 360,000 men. It

3772-426: The Joint Medical Service in 2000. The transferred units continue to wear army uniforms. The 2001 onwards restructuring of the German Army saw it move to a seven division structure – five mechanised (each with two mechanised brigades), one special forces, and one air assault. In 2003, three Corps still existed, each including various combat formations and a maintenance brigade, as well as the I. German/Dutch Corps ,

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3864-600: The Panavia Tornado . 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

3956-881: The Second World War . In addition there are tanks from the Soviet Red Army , the British Army and the United States Army from the Second World War, as well as other modern tanks such as the Israeli Merkava . There is also one Swedish tank, the Stridsvagn m/21-29, a modified German LK II . Most of the vehicles are in working order, with restoration work ongoing to render all examples functional. The restoration staff of

4048-624: The Territorialheer was to maintain the operational freedom of NATO forces through providing rear area defence against saboteurs, enemy special forces, and the like. There were three Territorial Commands ( Territorialkommandos ), including North, South , and Schleswig-Holstein , and up to six Wehrbereichskommandos (WBKs), military regional commands. By 1985 each of the WBKs had two Heimatschutzbrigades (HSBs, home defence brigades). The development of Soviet tactical nuclear weapons required

4140-532: The Weimar Republic era, the Daimler DZVR 21 . In addition it has one of only two existing Sturmpanzer VI as well as a prototype version of the Jagdpanzer IV . From the post-war era there is a range of Bundeswehr prototypes, including a Leopard 1 , Kanonenjagdpanzer tank destroyer and MBT-70 , the abortive US-German design. The interior of a Leopard 1 tank, situated outside, can be entered via

4232-597: The Army was the former Wehrmacht General der Panzertruppe Hans Rottiger , who had been involved in the drafting of the Himmeroder memorandum. The official date of the founding of the army is 12 November 1955 when the first soldiers began their service in Andernach . In 1956 the first troops set up seven training companies in Andernach and began the formation of schools and training centers. On 1 April 1957,

4324-418: 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 Bundeswehr 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". With

4416-453: The German Army. Since then, the German Army has been employed in peacekeeping operations worldwide and since 2002 also in combat operations in Afghanistan as part of NATO's International Security Assistance Force . Following World War II the Allies dissolved the Wehrmacht with all its branches on 20 August 1946. However already one year after the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany in May 1949 and because of its increasing links with

4508-401: The German land forces. Following the German defeat in World War I and the end of the German Empire , the main army was dissolved. From 1921 to 1935 the name of the German land forces was the Reichsheer (Army of the Empire) and from 1935 to 1945 the name Heer was used. The Heer was one of two ground forces of the Third Reich during World War II but, unlike the Heer , the Waffen-SS

4600-416: 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,

4692-415: The West German Heer , while on 1 March 1956 the East German Landstreitkräfte der NVA (Land Forces of the National People's Army) were founded. During the Cold War, the West German Army was fully integrated into NATO 's command structure while the Landstreitkräfte were part of the Warsaw Pact . Following the process of German reunification in 1990, the Landstreitkräfte were partially integrated into

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4784-404: The West under German chancellor Konrad Adenauer , the Consultative Assembly of Europe began to consider the formation of a European Defence Community with German participation on 11 August 1950. Former high-ranking Wehrmacht officers outlined in the Himmeroder memorandum a plan for a "German contingent in an international force for the defense of Western Europe." For the German land forces

4876-437: The army move to a purely professional three division structure with a view on creating smaller, more flexible and more deployable units, emphasising global employment against non-state threats such as international terrorism or as part of UN and EU missions. As of January 2022 , the German Army had a strength of 62,766 soldiers. The German Army is commanded by the Inspector of the Army ( Inspekteur des Heeres ) based at

4968-399: The creation of all twelve divisions did not take place until 1965. At the end of 1958 the strength of the army was about 20,200 men. The army was equipped at first with American material, such as the M-47 Patton main battle tank. Three corps commands were formed beginning in 1957: the I Corps, II Corps, and the III Corps . Also in 1957 the "Office for Territorial Defence" was established as

5060-416: 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 Bundeswehr to take part in operations outside of the borders of Germany, as part of NATO or the European Union and mandated by the UN. Since the early 1990s the Bundeswehr has become more and more engaged in international operations in and around

5152-564: The development of a new Army structure even before Army Structure 1 was fully achieved. To minimize the effects of attacks with tactical nuclear weapons on massed forces, the 28,000 strong divisions of the Heer were broken up into smaller and more mobile brigades under Army Structure 2 . These smaller units were also to be capable of self-sustainment on a nuclear battlefield for several days, and to be capable of moving quickly from defense and to attack. The new armoured and mechanised brigades were capable of combined arms combat. Each division

5244-439: The first conscripts arrived for service in the army. The first military organisations created were instructional battalions, officer schools, and the Army Academy, the forerunner to the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr in Hamburg . In total of twelve armoured and infantry divisions were to be established by 1959, as planned in Army Structure I. To achieve this goal existing units were split approximately every six months. However

5336-535: The former Yugoslavia , and also in other parts of the world like Cambodia or Somalia . After the 11 September 2001 attacks , German forces were employed in most related theaters except Iraq . Currently (1 April 2024) there are 1,084 Bundeswehr soldiers deployed in: In addition to the numbers above, 51 soldiers are on permanent stand-by for medical evacuation operations around the world in assistance of ongoing German or coalition operations ( STRATAIRMEDEVAC ). In support of Allied stabilization efforts in Iraq,

5428-484: The growing number of missions abroad it was recognized that the Bundeswehr 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. Medical support

5520-431: The highest Territorial Army authority. The Office for Territorial Defence was under the direct command of the Federal Ministry of Defence and commanded the Territorial Army (Germany) ( Territorialheer ), a reserve formation. While the Heer along with the Marine and Luftwaffe were firmly integrated into the NATO Military Command Structure, the Territorialheer remained under national command. The main function of

5612-407: 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

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5704-474: The memorandum envisioned the formation of a 250,000 strong army. The officers saw the need for the formation of twelve Panzer divisions and six corps staffs with accompanying Corps troops, as only armoured divisions could muster a fighting force to throw back the numerically far superior forces of the Warsaw Pact . Theodor Blank was appointed "officer of the Federal Chancellor for the Strengthening of Allied Troops questions". This Defence Ministry forerunner

5796-419: 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

5888-526: The more democratic parts of Germany's armed forces history in order to establish a solid civil-military basis to build upon. 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,

5980-427: The museum do extensive research on every vehicle in order to return it to its original configuration and paint scheme. The large collection of armoured vehicles includes some rare or unique types. For example, the museum has a replica of an A7V German First World War tank, the only example of its type in (continental) Europe, with the only other being at The Tank Museum . Also, there is an armoured police vehicle from

6072-438: The museum opened a new building for special displays, a museum shop and a cafeteria. The museum displays tanks, military vehicles, weapons, small arms, uniforms, medals, decorations and military equipment from World War I to the present day. The heart of the exhibition is a collection of about 40 Bundeswehr and former East German ( Nationale Volksarmee ) tanks as well as 40 German tanks and other Wehrmacht vehicles from

6164-412: The museum still includes the old perspectives of the museum: operational history and political history still have their place in the Tank Museum. The Elemente des Krieges ("Elements of War"), thematically groups smaller exhibits into four areas or "paths": Further special exhibits are the death mask of Erwin Rommel and his tunic, which was thought to be an original for a long time. The fake uniform

6256-409: 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 ,

6348-531: The second largest in the European Union behind France . In addition, the Bundeswehr has approximately 34,600 reserve personnel (2024). With German military expenditures at $ 66.8 billion (2023), the Bundeswehr is the seventh highest-funded military in the world, though military expenditures have until recently remained low at an average at 1.5% of national GDP, well below the non-binding NATO target of 2%. In 2024, Germany fulfilled NATO obligations of spending 2% of its GDP on its armed forces. Germany

6440-451: 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

6532-465: The society. With the reduction, a large amount of the military hardware of the Bundeswehr , as well as of the Volksarmee , had to be disposed of. Most of the armoured vehicles and fighter jet aircraft (the Bundesluftwaffe  – due to reunification – was 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

6624-792: The targeted number of 36 active brigades raised by 1975 while the 2nd and 4th Panzergrenadier divisions were reorganised into Jäger formations. The armies Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) brigades were renamed into Luftlande (airborne) brigades and a third brigade ( Luftlandebrigade 27 ) was formed. Under Army Structure 4 from 1980/81 on, the German Army fielded 12 divisions (with 38 active brigades): six Panzer (armoured), four Panzergrenadier (mechanised), one Luftlande (airborne), and one Gebirgs (alpine) divisions. Ten active divisions were grouped into three corps: I German Corps as part of NATO's Northern Army Group , II German Corps and III German Corps as part of Central Army Group . The remaining heavy division ( 6th Panzergrenadier Division )

6716-461: 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. Plans were also announced to significantly expand the tank fleet to a potential number of 328, order 131 more Boxer armored personnel carriers , increase the submarine fleet, and to develop a new fighter jet to replace

6808-561: 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. According to a policy dictated by von der Leyen in February 2017,

6900-544: The way for reunification, the Bundeswehr was to be reduced to 370,000 personnel, of whom no more than 345,000 were to be in the Army and Air Force. 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 Bundeswehr was significantly reduced, and the former East German Nationale Volksarmee (NVA)

6992-492: Was a partially active and mixed formation, containing a tank company and two mechanised companies. Armoured brigades similarly consisted of one Panzergrenadier and three Panzer battalions, with one armoured battalion being mixed and partially active (containing one mechanised and two tank companies). Mechanised infantry battalions in mechanised brigades typically had one of three companies equipped as motorised infantry with M113 APCs instead of Marder IFVs . After 1990,

7084-597: Was accepted as a replacement for the failed European Defence Community plan. Afterwards the Blank Office was converted to the Defence Ministry and Theodor Blank became the first Defence Minister. The nucleus of army was the so-called V Branch of the Department of Defence. Subdivisions included were VA Leadership and Training, VB Organisation and VC Logistics. The army saw itself explicitly not as

7176-636: 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, and von der Leyen's daycare system to boot. 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

7268-461: Was composed of three brigades. The armoured brigades consisted of an armoured infantry battalion, two armoured battalions, a self-propelled artillery battalion and a supply battalion. The mechanised brigades consisted of a motorised infantry battalion, two mechanised infantry battalions, an armoured battalion, a field artillery battalion and a supply battalion. The motorised brigades consisted of three motorised infantry battalions, an anti-tank battalion,

7360-498: Was continuously downsized from this point. In 1994 III Corps was reorganised as the German Army Forces Command . In 1996, the 25th Airborne Brigade was converted into a new command leading the Army's special forces, known as the Kommando Spezialkräfte . Logistics, CBRN defense , territorial defense and military police units were split off into the newly formed Joint Support Service and medical units into

7452-453: Was disbanded, with a portion of its personnel and materiel being absorbed into the Bundeswehr . About 50,000 Volksarmee personnel were integrated into the Bundeswehr 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

7544-419: 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

7636-711: Was formally disbanded as of 30 June 2001. In peacetime it also commanded the 10th Panzer Division , which was allocated to Eurocorps and which parents the German half of the Franco-German Brigade . The 1st Mountain Division at Munich was also subordinate to this headquarters. The IV Corps was headquartered at Potsdam in eastern Germany and controlled two Panzergrenadier Divisions, the 13th and 14th. The 14th Panzergrenadier Division also took control of units in Western Germany re-subordinated from

7728-671: 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. 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

7820-414: Was known somewhat euphemistically as the Blank Office ( Amt Blank ), but explicitly used to prepare for the rearmament of West Germany ( Wiederbewaffnung ). By March 1954 the Blank Office had finished plans for a new German army. Plans foresaw the formation of six infantry, four armoured, and two mechanised infantry divisions, as the German contribution to the defense of Western Europe in the framework of

7912-530: Was not a branch of the Wehrmacht but was a combat force under the Nazi Party 's own Schutzstaffel (SS). The Heer was formally disbanded in August 1946. After World War II, Germany was divided into the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), which both formed their own armed forces: on 12 November 1955 the first recruits began their service in

8004-420: Was part of Allied Forces Baltic Approaches . In peacetime the 1st Airborne Division was assigned to II German Corps with its three brigades to be distributed among the three Corps respectively in wartime, forming a quick reaction reserve. The number of active brigades rose compared to Army Structure 3 due to two Heimatschutz territorial defense brigades (51 and 56) being assigned to the field army as part of

8096-521: Was reorganised with the establishment of the Joint Medical Service . In 2016, the Bundeswehr created its youngest branch the Cyber and Information Space Command . 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

8188-506: Was suspended, the wording of the ceremonial vow for full-time recruits and volunteer personnel is: Serving Bundeswehr personnel replace " Ich gelobe , ..." with " Ich schwöre , ..." ("I swear..."). 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

8280-856: 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

8372-504: 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

8464-404: 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 Bundeswehr did not take part in combat operations. However, there were

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