Germany’s armed forces: readiness, rearmament and reality

Photo by Julian Zwengel on Unsplash

For decades, Germany treated its armed forces as a political afterthought. The Bundeswehr existed largely as a symbolic commitment to alliances rather than as a force designed to fight and win wars. Equipment was cannibalised, ammunition stocks run down, training curtailed and procurement paralysed by process.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ended that illusion overnight — at least rhetorically. Chancellor Olaf Scholz proclaimed a Zeitenwende, promising a historic break with complacency and a return to military seriousness. Billions were pledged. Speeches hardened. Expectations rose.

The US’s apparent disregard for NATO under Donald Trump, meanwhile, has caused extreme anxiety in Berlin over whether Washington would meet its NATO commitments. That fear has accelerated the rearmament timeframe while also starting a debate over whether Germany should have its own nuclear weapons.

The harder question, four years on, is simpler and more uncomfortable: is the B…