Bundeswehr Missions: Is the Military Ready?

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In The Media

Carnegie Europe

Bundeswehr Missions: Is the Military Ready?

Germany has expressed its readiness to join the coalition of the willing against the Islamic State. But can the country’s military forces live up to its NATO engagement?

By Judy Dempsey

Published on Oct 9, 2014

Source: Deutsche Welle

Speaking to Deutsche Welle’s Quadriga, Judy Dempsey discussed the German public’s low appetite for warfare, which in turn partly explains the relative poor state of the German military forces. However, Dempsey argued that this was a problem not only for Germany, and that demilitarization had also been witnessed in France, the UK, and the Netherlands over the last few years, demonstrating that there was clearly a “war weariness after Iraq, after Afghanistan, and after the botched mission in Libya.”

Dempsey explained that even though public opinion in Germany might be opposed to war, the country’s political elite is now choosing to go against it and rethink the world order’s “predictability.” She also recommended that German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen and her advisers should not let the issue of the present state of the German army disappear, but should make the subject accessible and widen the debate.

This broadcast was originally aired on Deutsche Welle.

About the Author

Judy Dempsey

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe

Judy Dempsey is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie Europe

Recent Work

Commentary
Europe Needs to Hear What America is Saying
- Judy Dempsey
Commentary
Babiš’s Victory in Czechia Is Not a Turning Point for European Populists
- Judy Dempsey

Foreign Policy Security Military Europe Western Europe Germany Iran

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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