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German military recruits stand in formation
Image: Christophe Gateau/dpa/picture alliance

Bundeswehr

Germany's military is one of the largest in Europe. "The Bundeswehr" is a catch-all term in German, encompassing the army, navy and air force.

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News

April 8, 2024

Germany sends first soldiers for permanent Lithuania force

April 4, 2024

Germany launches military reform with new command structure

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

Mali's junta leader Assimi Goita

Mali widens crackdown on politics, media

Mali widens crackdown on politics, media

The ruling junta has imposed bans on the activities of political parties and media coverage of political life.
PoliticsApril 13, 2024
Inka von Puttkamer, the new commander of the 3rd Minesweeper Squadron in the German Navy.

Women still rare in Germany's military

Women still rare in Germany's military

For the first time, a woman is commanding a German navy unit. But women are still underrepresented in the Bundeswehr.
PoliticsApril 13, 2024
Boris Pistorius

German government wants 'war-ready' troops

German government wants 'war-ready' troops

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said as he announced his plans to restructure the German army. It will not be easy.
PoliticsApril 5, 2024
Inspector General of the Bundeswehr Carsten Breuer listens as German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius speaks into a lectern microphone

Germany's armed forces set to get overhaul

Germany's armed forces set to get overhaul

Defense Minister Pistorius wants to make the country's military, the Bundeswehr, more agile, efficient and combat ready.
PoliticsApril 5, 202401:24 min
A truck carrying humanitarian aid bound for the Gaza Strip

What aid is Germany sending to Gaza?

What aid is Germany sending to Gaza?

Israel is temporarily reopening some aid routes into Gaza. What kind of German aid is still arriving there?
Human RightsApril 5, 2024
German soldiers deployed in Lithuania

Germany's Bundeswehr: Getting ready to defend NATO

Germany's Bundeswehr: Getting ready to defend NATO

During the Cold War, the West German army trained for defense against attacks from the east. Now it is preparing again.
ConflictsApril 4, 2024
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Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Ukraine's ambassador to Germany Oleksiy Makeev surrounded by German and Ukrainian soldiers at the German military training facility in Klietz.

German mission to train Ukrainians forges ahead

Western powers have the gear and know military theory, but Ukrainians have combat experience.
ConflictsFebruary 27, 2024
Recruits in the Bundeswehr Gebirgsjaegerbataillon seen from the back during a ceremony in Munich on 14.09.2023

Germany debates how to boost Bundeswehr recruitment

The German military is struggling to boost its numbers, to be in the position to take on a possible Russian threat.
ConflictsFebruary 24, 2024
Olaf Scholz smiling atop a Leopard battle Tank (August 2022)

Germany: Is it better to spend on defense or on welfare?

Germany's Bundeswehr needs to be beefed up. This could come through more debt, or at the expense of social spending.
PoliticsFebruary 20, 2024
A decommissioned Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile sits in an underground silo

Germany and nuclear weapons: A difficult history

Donald Trump's remarks on NATO's principle of collective defense have triggered a debate in Germany on nuclear options.
PoliticsFebruary 17, 2024
Boris Pistorius (l) talking to Chancellor Olaf Scholz

How Germany fudges the math on NATO and Ukraine

Germany's €8 billion military aid for Ukraine is set to come from the general defense budget.
ConflictsJanuary 20, 2024
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius at a parade marking the 68th anniversary of the founding of the Bundeswehr on 12.11.2023

Germany mulls reintroduction of compulsory military service

As the Bundeswehr faces a dramatic personnel shortage, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is reconsidering conscription.
SocietyDecember 29, 2023