Germany Releases Its First Military Strategy Since World War II

According to a report by Reference News Network on April 25, the French newspaper Le Figaro reported on April 22 that this is the first time in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany. On the 22nd, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced the key points of the country's first military strategy since the end of World War II.

In this strategy, Germany expressed its willingness to take on "more responsibility" within NATO and is determined to quickly build the strongest conventional army in Europe. Pistorius emphasized: "We will further strengthen the combat capabilities of our armed forces and accelerate progress."

The 35-page document, titled "European Responsibility," clearly identifies Russia as "the most direct and significant threat to the peace and security of Germany and the Euro-Atlantic region."

The authors of the document pointed out: "Russia is creating conditions for waging war against NATO and has already been conducting hybrid warfare operations against NATO member states."

Through this document, the German government aims to anticipate future threats and determine how the Bundeswehr can respond to these threats within the NATO framework. Its objectives include both deterring attacks and being able to defend itself when necessary.

In this public document, the authors also made a series of judgments. First, "German society as a whole faces threats," and war will inevitably be multidimensional.

Second, the continuous availability of interconnected sensors will lead to increasing battlefield transparency and growing digitization. The authors also pointed out that "precise and long-range" strike capabilities will exacerbate threats on the battlefield, where "there will be no safe areas for withdrawal."

At the same time, as the autonomy and automation of weapon systems increase, "adversaries will use artificial intelligence and unmanned autonomous systems without restrictions."

According to this document, by 2035, the number of active-duty soldiers in Germany should increase from the current 185,000 to 260,000, and the number of reservists should rise from the current 100,000 to 200,000.

According to a report by German television channel 1 on April 22, Defense Minister Pistorius announced Germany's new military strategy and, for the first time, outlined the military goals that the Bundeswehr aims to achieve in the coming years.

At this historical stage, formulating a military strategy is extremely necessary. Especially since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the threats faced by Germany have intensified. In addition, the international legal order is being questioned more strongly than at any time since the end of World War II.

To possess deterrence and respond to potential threats, the German Ministry of Defense plans to transform the Bundeswehr into the strongest conventional army in Europe. Currently, the Bundeswehr has approximately 185,000 active-duty personnel. According to the plan, by 2035, the number of active-duty personnel will increase to 260,000, and the number of reservists will rise to 200,000.

Pistorius stated that the Bundeswehr should take on more responsibilities within NATO. He said that the Bundeswehr needs to be equipped with long-range weapon systems and possess superior air defense capabilities to defend against enemy airstrikes on Germany and its allies.

He also mentioned that the Bundeswehr should pay attention to artificial intelligence and quickly overcome bureaucratic tendencies.

However, Pistorius was vague on many points. Members of the German Bundestag's Defense Committee complained that much of the information regarding the new military strategy was only available to them publicly, and they needed to see the classified parts to fulfill their oversight responsibilities.

But Pistorius emphasized at the press conference that many structural and strategic considerations cannot simply be made public, such as what specific preparations should be made to respond to threats.

According to a report by German television channel 1 on April 22, when announcing the military strategy of the Bundeswehr, Defense Minister Pistorius emphasized Germany's "leadership role" in Europe. In an interview, he stated that this is the expectation of NATO partners. (Translation/ Liu Zhuo Wang Qing)