Germany has committed billions to beefing up its military’s equipment after years of neglect. Now it’s trying to persuade more people to join up and serve.
More than 3 years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine kick-started efforts to revitalise the Bundeswehr, the challenge of strengthening the German military has grown along with fears of the threat from Moscow.
Alongside the higher military spending that Germany and NATO allies agreed on this year, the alliance is encouraging members to increase personnel numbers. Berlin wants to add tens of thousands of service members.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz says that because of its size and its economic strength, Germany is the country that must have the strongest conventional army in NATO on the European side.
He hasn’t defined that goal in detail, but the tone underscores a shift in a country that emerged only gradually from its post-World War II military reticence after reunification in 1990.
Earlier this month, the military’s​Germany has committed billions to beefing up its military’s equipment after years of neglect. Now it’s trying to persuade more people to join up and serve.
More than 3 years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine kick-started efforts to revitalise the Bundeswehr, the challenge of strengthening the German military has grown along with fears of the threat from Moscow.
Alongside the higher military spending that Germany and NATO allies agreed on this year, the alliance is encouraging members to increase personnel numbers. Berlin wants to add tens of thousands of service members.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz says that because of its size and its economic strength, Germany is the country that must have the strongest conventional army in NATO on the European side.
He hasn’t defined that goal in detail, but the tone underscores a shift in a country that emerged only gradually from its post-World War II military reticence after reunification in 1990.
Earlier this month, the military’s ​Latest News [ SOBAN NEWS: International and National ]
