Chasing Its Tail: Challenges of the Bundeswehr
NATO is requesting more brigades and Germany to answer….maybe
NATO has established a new objective to increase the number of brigades in its alliance from 80 to between 120 and 130. The alliance will require Germany to add 7 to 10 new brigades to the Bundeswehr to meet this NATO goal. Currently, Germany has not fully funded its armed forces since the end of the Cold War. Thus, it must double its defense budget and increase its military personnel to comply with NATO's guidance. In a society that is hesitant about military service, it is one thing to ask for more funding; it is quite another to request that society contribute its youth to the armed forces. Germany, along with other Western European nations, appears unprepared for such a demand, regardless of the validity of the goal.
The Bundeswehr currently has an active-duty strength of 182,000 military personnel and 81,000 civilian personnel. The previous government of Germany, under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, had set a new target of 203,000 active-duty military personnel. Since conscription in Germany ended in 2011, recruitment will now rely on volunteers, although there has been ongoing debate about the possibility of reinstating conscription.
The current German Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, served as defense minister under the previous SPD-led government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz and is now part of the current CDU/CSU-led government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz (because the more things change the more they stay the same). He has reaffirmed the goal of maintaining 203,000 military personnel. Minister Pistorius is trying to avoid implementing a draft, although he acknowledges that it may become necessary if personnel targets are not achieved. To encourage Germans to volunteer for military service, he is developing a unique registration system.
Boris Pistorius - Open Source
The end of conscription in 2011 also resulted in the decision to cease tracking individuals who are military-eligible and could be called upon for any future conscription. A new program now sends a questionnaire to all 18-year-olds in Germany to gauge their interest in joining the armed forces. Males are required to submit this questionnaire to the government, while females have the option to do so but are not obligated. Recruiters will reach out to those Germans who express interest in military service to maintain communication and encourage their participation. This program is relatively new, and its effectiveness remains unclear, compounded by privacy laws that restrict the government's ability to know where to send the questionnaires.
The challenge of increasing recruitment on a voluntary basis is significant for Germany, as it is for many Western-aligned countries. This challenge stems from declining birth rates, which are leading to a decrease in the number of military-eligible personnel. Currently, Germany's birth rate is 1.35 children per woman, significantly lower than the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman. Germany has not reached the replacement rate since 1970. With a total population of 84 million, the largest demographic group is aged 40-59, comprising 23 million people, while those aged 15-24 account for only about 9 million. Although the nation's population is growing, the aging demographic is increasing at a faster rate than the youth population.
The relative decline of young people alongside the increase in older individuals signifies a rise in retirements and departures from the workforce. Consequently, both the private sector and the non-military arm of the government are vying for the younger generation to join the civilian workforce. Additionally, the government will need to collect more tax revenue to support the retiring population. Expanding the private sector should be a primary economic objective to foster growth that can sustain retirees and the accompanying generous social safety net. Competing for this young demographic will pose challenges for Germany unless it enhances work incentives relative to government benefits or raises the retirement age. Reducing benefits tied to military service is unlikely to be a successful electoral strategy for German policymakers. Under these circumstances, voluntary recruitment is likely to fall short.
The issue also pertains to the political climate in Germany. The recent elections resulted in the formation of a CDU/CSU – SPD coalition aimed at excluding the AfD from participating in the government. This has been the established policy of the two parties in this grand coalition: to never form a government with either the AfD or the left-wing party Die Linke. The AfD has been designated as a "confirmed right-wing extremist" party by the German domestic intelligence agency, which enables further government actions against the AfD and its leadership.
The AfD received 20.8% of the vote in the German national elections, making it the second most popular party in Germany. It was particularly dominant in the former East Germany. The government's actions to collude in excluding certain parties from participation, along with the involvement of the domestic intelligence service, suggest that a significant portion of the German population perceives an effort to silence their voices in the democratic process. This situation carries important implications.
Source: Sky News
Military service, particularly in the enlisted ranks, draws from the national population and thus reflects the demographics of the population as a whole, especially among the youth. However, volunteerism can skew this representation, as certain demographics may be more inclined to join the military due to limited opportunities or longstanding traditions. If Germany seeks to increase its volunteer numbers, it makes sense—particularly for enlisted positions—to focus on regions where private sector job opportunities are scarce. For instance, the unemployment rate in the former East Germany stands at 6.9%, compared to 4.8% in the former West Germany. The situation is even more pronounced when examining youth unemployment, which is 7.7% in eastern Germany compared to just 4.1% in western Germany.
The eastern part of Germany would naturally be a key area for a volunteer program aimed at recruiting individuals for the Bundeswehr. However, this region is currently being targeted by the German government for extremist political ideology, as defined by them. The disenfranchisement, degeneration, and humiliation experienced by eastern Germans may lead to a decreased willingness among this population to respond to the government's call for military service. Consequently, one government policy is undermining the effectiveness of another government policy.
The other issue is that both the current and previous German governments have expressed concern about “right-wing extremism” within the Bundeswehr. They have taken steps to discharge personnel deemed to hold right-wing public views and have implemented educational measures for service members about the dangers of right-wing ideology. However, this creates an impression among certain right-leaning populations that they are unwelcome in the service, even if they choose to volunteer.
The other issue is whether the reintroduction of conscription in Germany would lead to the reports and actions of both the Bundestag (national parliament) and the domestic intelligence service disqualifying or discriminating against Germans with politically undesirable affiliations, such as those from the AfD. This could result in large areas of eastern Germany, excluding Berlin and Potsdam, being ineligible for military service or facing discrimination while serving.
It is uncertain whether this will come to pass, as no conscription law has been introduced, leaving the details ambiguous. However, it is evident that there are efforts to disenfranchise, silence, intimidate, and isolate German citizens whom the government deems to exhibit “wrong think” at best and “dangerous” at worst. As a result, conscription and/or volunteerism in the Bundeswehr will likely draw more heavily from the more influential and slightly younger population of western Germany than from eastern Germany. This suggests that the political considerations of the ruling class could lead to policies—based on their current and past actions—that would result in a Bundeswehr that is not demographically representative of the country as a whole.
Why does this matter? NATO is requesting additional troops for its deterrent policy, yet Germany is struggling to reach its current manpower goal of 203,000. Recent studies conducted by Germany's military union indicate that up to 260,000 soldiers may be necessary to fulfill NATO's request. Although this request is non-binding, it reflects the reality that if 203,000 personnel are required to maintain the current Bundeswehr force structure, the additional call for up to 10 brigades of 5,000 soldiers each suggests that there is indeed a need for expansion.
Source: Reddit
Studies indicate that many east Germans harbor resentment toward west Germans, perceiving that the former West Germany imposed its political system on East Germany. The government's actions against the dominant political party in the east, the AfD, further exemplify this eastern resentment. Will west Germans be willing to bear the consequences of their decisions to politically discredit east Germans and assume a greater share of conscription responsibilities? The Bundeswehr, expected to deploy eastward in both Germany and the Baltic nations during potential conflicts, would primarily consist of West Germans, lacking representation from the entire population. This disparity could lead to an imbalance in political stakes and shared sacrifice within German society as a whole.
The German government could potentially change its policies, but this is unlikely to happen. Given the rise of the National Socialist party in the 1930s, which involved the use and eventual manipulation of the democratic process, Germany is understandably cautious about a similar occurrence. This situation highlights that modern political leaders often show little respect for the democratic process when it yields results they oppose. It represents a clear rejection of political pluralism within both the government and society. Despite having been a democratic republic for seventy-six years, Germany appears to have little faith in its democratic institutions and traditions to honor the political will of its citizens.
Without reform, volunteerism in the Bundeswehr will continue to fall short of meeting requirements. Conscription, while not mandated by law, is unlikely to achieve the desired outcome if extremist rules and measures—such as the mandate for domestic intelligence services—remain unchanged. This situation will lead to a disproportionate representation of the east in conscription, with the west being overrepresented to compensate. If individuals from the east are conscripted, will they face the same internal investigations simply for being from that region, enduring suspicion of right-wing extremism in the eyes of the government? Furthermore, will these eastern recruits be willing to serve a German government that appears to disdain the political views of the eastern regions? Such conditions could leave the Bundeswehr vulnerable to psychological operations from adversaries aiming to sow distrust and undermine cohesion.
The steps that Germany is beginning to seriously consider in order to enhance the capabilities of its defense industrial sector and armed forces through increased defense spending are a positive development. As the largest economy in the European Union and all of Europe, Germany should be expected to maintain a robust military and defense infrastructure that aligns with its central position in Europe. However, it is clear that merely increasing funding will not solve the underlying issues, as militaries encompass more than just weapons and uniforms; they must also reflect the societies they serve. If Germany does not fully embrace political pluralism, it may encounter significant challenges in its efforts to expand its armed forces.
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References:
https://news-pravda.com/world/2025/05/30/1381379.html
https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-army-need-260000-troops-andre-wustner/
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/total-fertility-rate
https://www.statista.com/statistics/295397/fertility-rate-in-germany/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/germanys-far-afd-takes-legal-091821033.html
https://dnyuz.com/2025/05/18/the-bundeswehrs-extremism-problem-revisited/
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/seven-reasons-why-east-and-west-germany-are-divided/ar-AA1DR8qW
Germany would be wise to recruit young islamic leaders. Pay them well, educate them about the truth of the cult they are trying to impose upon the world. They are uneducated brainwashed young men who are still influential in their country. But, they can be bought. They can also willingly join German soldiers when they learn that they have been brainwashed with an ideology of hate.