by Dr. Georg Löfflmann, University of Warwick (g.lofflmann@warwick.ac.uk)
Three days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared in the Bundestag that the war constituted a watershed moment or “Zeitenwende” for European security and that as a consequence Germany would initiate a fundamental turnaround in its foreign, security and defense policy. This strategic reorientation would entail, among other things, a 100 billion Euro special investment fund for the Bundeswehr and the pledge to finally fulfil the NATO 2% target.
Taking the “Zeitenwende” rhetoric as its starting point, this paper will analyze to what extent Germany has indeed initiated a structural reboot of its national security posture, considering
- a) German strategic culture and changing identity narratives pertaining to Germany’s role in the world,
- b) the structure, equipment, posture and societal status of the German armed forces,
- c) expert and media discourses regarding German national security and defense matters in the wake of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Our main argument is that far from a material dimension alone, the “Zeitenwende” indicates a reorientation of core strategic narratives, such as military reticence, that have been constitutive for Germany’s post-war historical development and that are now being contested between defenders of the status quo and advocates for change.
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