Germany preparing to build Europe’s strongest army

What could possibly go wrong?
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Germany wants to build Europe’s strongest army – a new conscription bill is moving that closer

Spoiler

Germany’s armed forces, or Bundeswehr, have been chronically underfunded since the Cold War.

For three decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, military expenditure remained below 2% of the country’s GDP – below NATO targets – amid a lack of perceived threats, taboo around Germany’s military might and a strongly pacifist national mindset following the Nazi era.

Then came Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Amid calls within Europe to be “war-ready,” this triggered a significant shift in the country’s outlook. Then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz proclaimed a “Zeitenwende” – or “period of change” – leading to the creation of a special fund of €100 billion ($116 billion) to modernize the Bundeswehr.

In June 2024, Germany set aside its unease over its military past to mark its first Veteran’s Day since World War Two, with new legislation stating that the day should be celebrated “publicly and visibly” every year on June 15.

This attitudinal shift only deepened after Merz took office earlier this year, with the new chancellor not only pledging to turn Germany’s armed forces into “Europe’s strongest conventional army” but also committing to doubling defense spending to meet new NATO targets.

“(Russian President Vladimir) Putin only understands the language of power,” Merz said at the time.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/23/europe/germany-europe-army-reform-intl