The German Parliamentary Commissioner of the Federal Armed Forces: From Constitutional Watchdog of the Innere Fuehrung to Conventional Military Lobbyist
Abstract
This thesis covers the development of the German Parliamentary Commissioner of the armed forces, the Wehrbeauftragten des Deutschen Bundestages, who has by law the obligation to oversee the military. The Commissioner is entitled to ensure the armys compliance with Innere Fhrung, which is first the concept of the citizen soldier and a military that is fully integrated into a liberal democracy and pluralistic society. Examining literature from the Commissioners development until 2005 and assessing the Commissioners work thereafter, this thesis concludes that the Commissioner has lost focus on issues of Innere Fhrung, instead becoming an advocate of soldiers needs and interests and, recently, even a conventional military lobbyist that demands a greater military budget and more equipment (i.e., for more military strength and readiness). On the one hand, this shift is a result of ineffective means and instruments to assess the state and the essence of Innere Fhrung. On the other hand, it is an expression of a broader societal and political neglect of democratic and liberal values, which are taken for granted, as well as a lack of historical awareness regarding the dangers and risks of radical political tendencies and militarism.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1080323
Entities
People
- Kai C. Luetsch
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School